


Kiran's Hero Entries

by OneTrueAmateur



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Gameplay and Story Integration, Gen, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-11
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2019-11-15 18:21:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 37,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18078614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneTrueAmateur/pseuds/OneTrueAmateur
Summary: "This document is a collection of entries on all the Heroes that have fought alongside me during my time in Zenith. Each entry in this collection details the Hero’s backstory, general personality, combat skills, and compatibility with other Heroes. It also includes my own personal thoughts on the Hero, just to add some flavor.""The reason I made this document was so that if it ever fell into the hands of another Summoner who was facing their own war, they’d have extra information to help in their struggles. Maybe they have difficulty pairing up good Heroes together, or maybe they don’t know how to interact with a certain hero. Either way, this is meant to help them."





	1. Preamble

This document is a collection of entries on all the Heroes that have fought alongside me during my time in Zenith. Each entry in this collection details the Hero’s backstory, general personality, combat skills, and compatibility with other Heroes. It also includes my own personal thoughts on the Hero, just to add some flavor.

The reason I made this document was so that if it ever fell into the hands of another Summoner who was facing their own war, they’d have extra information to help in their struggles. Maybe they have difficulty pairing up good Heroes together, or maybe they don’t know how to interact with a certain hero. Either way, this is meant to help them.

To make it easier in finding specific heroes, I’ve made a little code that lists them by order of appearance. It follows this kind of format:

X000()

The X represents what world the Hero comes from:

  * Z for Zenith
  * A for Archanea
  * V for Valentia
  * J for Judgral
  * E for Elibe
  * M for Magvel
  * T for Tellius
  * Y for Ylisse (and Valm)
  * N for Nohr
  * H for Hoshido
  * VL for Valla ~~hey Azura, how come your mom never _wrote out_ her nation’s name?~~



The three zeroes are meant to represent when they made a major impact/became a major force in their world. For example, Marth would have the entry of AA001, as his drive to defeat Dolhr essentially kickstarted the end to the War of Shadows, making him one of its first major players.

The parentheses represent the alternate versions of that Hero, since Breidablik ~~seems to mess with time and space like that~~ can pull Heroes from multiple timelines.

I’ve also broken each entry into the specific sections based on what you need:

  * Overview: I give general overview of their backstory/origins and their personality.
  * Combat Prowess/Skills: I give a detailed list of all the weapons/skills they can use, their main fighting style, and any techniques/weapons unique to them. This part also lists any of the refinements brought about from the Rite of Blades.
  * Team Composition: I list some of the hero’s strengths and weaknesses while also listing other Heroes that work well with them both from a combat perspective (what weaknesses can be covered, what strengths can be emphasized, etc.) and a personality perspective (who has the Hero worked with previously, who has a personality that meshes well with the Hero’s, etc.)
  * Personal Thoughts: Just my own ~~two cents~~ (Sorry, personal lingo) opinions on the Heroes; how I feel about them, what about them worries me, what I think needs to be watched out for, etc.



Once that’s done with, any alternate versions of that Hero will be listed, along with any major/notable changes to their personality, fighting style, or compatibility with other Heroes. Pretty simple really.

I hope this document proves to be useful to you in the coming days.


	2. Alfonse

Hero Entry Z001: Alfonse, Prince of Askr

**OVERVIEW**

The son of King Gustav, brother to Sharena, and Anna’s ~~minder~~ second-in-command when it comes to leading the Order of Heroes and planning their next moves. At a young age, he was groomed to become the perfect heir to the Askr throne. However, when the Emblian Empire decided to bring war to their doorstep, he instead took up the sword and joined the Order of Heroes, wanting to protect his home through combat rather than diplomacy, despite (understandable) protests from both the Askr court and his own father.

Alfonse is an excellent model of nobility; he is polite, kind, and knowledgeable on many subjects, especially the likes of history and language ~~the fricking nerd~~. His understanding of both proper etiquette and professionalism means it can be easy to work with him both on and off the battlefield. However, polite and kind do not translate to him being all that friendly with other Heroes; ever since ~~Zacharias~~ Bruno left him all those months ago, he’s had a hard time placing faith and trust into others _outside_ of combat situations, keeping them at a distance because he doesn’t want to get hurt again. He comes off as cold with most of the Order, save for the likes of his sister and commander.

~~And me I guess, though even that’s debatable some days~~

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Being born into a family of royalty, Alfonse has had access to many tutors and instructors during his childhood, both for interacting with the court and how to defend himself on the battlefield. He is amazing at handling swords, lances, and axes, and has a decent enough understanding of bows to use them if your top archers are out of commission. He has no training whatsoever in daggers and the like, and he really doesn’t have the dexterity to use them, either. Also, unlike his sister, he has little to no magical talent, meaning he has no access to combat magic, healing magic, or even hexes. He does know how to fight on horseback, but he prefers to battle on foot.

Alfonse’s fighting style is one I would describe as analytical; He mainly relies on examining his opponent for weak points and striking them with a single deadly blow. If given the chance to initiate combat, there’s a good chance he’ll cripple/kill his opponent before they can properly counterattack. However, his way of fighting comes with its own weaknesses, mainly that he is not as fast as some of his peers like Ike and Mia; it can be easy for him to get overwhelmed by speedier foes. Though he does wear more armor than usual to help with that, it does nothing to protect him from more magically inclined opponents like Lilina and Boey.

Thankfully, one of Alfonse’s greater talents is an understanding of battle tactics and team composition; while he’s no prodigy like Soren or Saias ~~or me for that matter~~ , he still has a good head on his shoulders and can usually plan for almost any situation. Also, many of our other Heroes that have fought closely by him have noted they fight harder when in his presence, possibly due to how he holds a position of authority as a prince. In the event that Commander Anna or any of our tacticians are incapacitated in any way, he can easily fill in their roles if needed.

His main weapon of choice is the ~~Falkvang   FukVun   Folcben~~ Fólkvangr, a legendary sword gifted to him by his father when he came of age. Like many other legendary weapons that will be listed in the future, it has special characteristics and capabilities that benefit the wielder during battle. For one, the weapon burns with white flames when Alfonse is in danger (from the gemstones, if I remember correctly), increasing its overall power and allowing Alfonse to cut through enemy armor that much more easily. It also has some healing capabilities similar to that _Sol_ technique some other Heroes have been able to use, healing his wounds when he successfully hits his opponents.

~~Does he like drain their blood? Lifeforce? What exactly happens? Is he secretly a vampire?~~

Thanks to the Rite of Blades, we’ve been able to refine and upgrade ~~Fokva~~ Fólkvangr’s power. When refined, the flames not only burn hotter, but also activate at an even earlier time than usual, _and_ _also_ spread across Alfonse’s armor like an extra layer of protection from physical blows. Refined even further, the blade can release a level of heat so intense, that wind-based spells _somehow_ decrease in overall effectiveness against him (heat disrupts air flow?). However, said refinement process also makes Fólkvangr a more efficient conductor for lightning-based spells…somehow.

(I need to emphasize the _spell_ part here; the lightning produced from some other legendary weapons – such as Armads and Hauteclere – don’t seem to actively seek out Alfonse like a regular thunder spell. ~~Fricking magic, how does it work?~~ )

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Alfonse’s experience as both a member of royalty and as a second-in-command make him an effective leader for the small squads the Order often fields. However, his emphasis on power and defense sacrifices speed and his resistance to magic is rather lacking.

Combat wise, Heroes who emphasize speed in their fighting can work alongside him very well, keeping foes occupied long enough for Alfonse to discover weaknesses and strike accordingly. Long-range support is also an option for you to consider, as they can weaken/distract foes and keep Alfonse from being targeted too much. Mages (or any Hero with a good resistance to magic) are also a good choice to pair with him, if only to act as a counter against enemy mages.

Personality wise, his polite/professional attitude allows him to work well with almost anyone; the only Heroes he has trouble working with are the more villainous ones, such as Michalis, Valter, Oliver, etc. Even then, he’s aware that the mission comes first, and can put aside his feelings, at least temporarily. He also works better with the likes of Anna, Sharena, and our Nifl allies, considering they come from the same world.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Alfonse was basically the second person I met when I came to Zenith. While he was at first cautious of me, he eventually warmed up to me once I proved myself to not only be the Summoner spoken of in Zenith’s legends, but also a pretty damn good tactician. Overall, it shouldn’t be too hard for you to have a decent relationship with him.

Unfortunately, getting on his good side is the least of your concerns.

I love Alfonse, I really do; he’s smart and has a good head on his shoulders. But I can’t help but worry about his mental health on occasion; I get why he is reluctant to make friends, but he can’t keep pushing everyone away. He needs more friends than just the commander and his sister. Heck, he only became one of my close friends because Veronica almost killed me. He’s opening up more with the Nifl royals, true, but there are others who want to get to know him as well. If he continues to keep those walls around his heart up, there’s no telling what will happen.

Plus, Alfonse is _way_ too willing to bear all his burdens on his own; he adamantly refuses to vent his frustrations and fears to others. He can’t keep it all bottled up, yet he insists on doing that anyhow. You need to prove to him that you are trustworthy, that you’ll be there for him in his darkest hour. He’s a good man, but he needs to open up more.

~~Maybe take him drinking~~ He’s really not a fan of alcohol.

Maybe try taking him as a personal trainer for swordplay in the like? It worked for me ~~after nearly dying once~~

 

* * *

 

Hero Entry Z001a: Alfonse, Spring Prince

**OVERVIEW**

An alternate version of Alfonse that took part in the Spring Festival. He was ~~forced~~ persuaded by his sister to dress up for it. ~~He looks ridiculous~~ (Personal thoughts later)

Unlike his counterpart, this Alfonse is a bit more carefree and open with his feelings. However, he does occasionally feel awkward about wearing such a get-up. ~~Which he should, considering what he’s wearing~~

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

This version of Alfonse has decided to bench ~~Folk~~  Fólkvangr and take up the axe instead. He has also decided to take advantage of his skills on horseback, and is acting more so as a cavalry unit than an infantry one.

The added mobility of the horse makes up for Alfonse’s previously poor speed. Unfortunately, the change from practical armor to the ~~gaudy~~ festival outfit _did_ weaken his overall defenses somewhat. Plus, he admitted that he hasn’t ridden a horse in quite a while, so he’s still not fully comfortable riding it.

~~Better than Chrom at least.~~

The main weapon this Alfonse uses is what I have started to call the Giant Spoon; it is literally a giant spoon with an egg resting in the bowl. This is no ordinary egg, however; upon cracking open, one finds _live bunnies_ living inside it ~~Alfonse you monster~~. The sudden appearance of these furry creatures, without fail, catches opponents off guard, meaning Alfonse has ample time see where to hit them in their weak spots, and to brace for any retaliating blows. Surrounding foes aren’t safe either, as they also lower their guard upon seeing the bunnies, leaving opportunities for Alfonse’s allies to strike at them while they’re _also_ distracted. ~~You’d think it would be the outfit instead~~

Outside of that, he has been able to master the _Sol_ technique to some extent; while he cannot heal as much, he can more easily activate it.

**TEAM COMPOSITION**

Being on a horse gives this Alfonse many advantages over his counterpart. Aside from the greater mobility, he now has the speed to counterattack some speedy foes that would’ve given him a hard time.

Many other cavalry units such as Gunter and Camus can easily help him get used to riding on horseback and can support him/keep him safe, so it is best if he is paired up other cavalry units. ~~Can’t help his fashion sense though~~

Many of the same weaknesses (save for the one in speed) and compatibility levels that his counterpart had still apply, so all that information has basically remained unchanged.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

He looks outrageously goofy…and gaudy sometimes…but I’m happy this one has opened up a bit more. He’s still a little distant, but progress has been made, and I’m happy for that.

~~Now if only he stopped using _live bunnies_ in his attacks.~~


	3. Sharena

Hero Entry Z002: Sharena, Princess of Askr

**OVERVIEW**

The daughter of King Gustav and sister to Alfonse. Because she is the younger sibling, she wasn’t given the same amount of training/attention to become the heir to the Askr throne. When the Emblian Empire declared war against Askr, she followed in her brother’s footsteps and also joined the Order of Heroes.

Unlike her brother, Sharena is much more outgoing, eager to converse and hang out with almost anyone. She always seems to have a smile on her face, even in the face in great adversity; even when ~~Zac~~ Bruno disappeared, she never stopped flashing her smile. She’s incredibly optimistic, always doing her best to see the best in people or situations (for better or for worse). It’s very easy to get along with her, as long as you’re not too much of a jerk. Honestly, her only real problems are that her kindhearted nature borders on naivety at some points, she’s sometimes _too_ casual with those who find proper etiquette important, and she’s not as…academically inclined as her brother.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Being born into a family of royalty like her brother, Sharena also had access to many tutors and instructors during her childhood, be it for the court or the battlefield. However, she didn’t take her training as seriously as him; she can only comfortably use swords and lances (trained by Alfonse and Bruno, respectively), has difficulty using axes and bows, and has no training in daggers and the like. Thankfully, she has talent in the magical arts, being able to use both combat magic (specifically anima) and some healing magic (which is the one field she took seriously). Though she can also fight on horseback, she isn’t comfortable with it.

Sharena’s fighting style is not as refined as Alfonse’s in terms of technique; it has no definite strengths. In fact, you could say that she’s rather average in all fields. I wouldn’t say that’s a bad thing, though; she’s well rounded in power, speed, and defenses (save resistance, which is a little lacking), so she can fit any role if needed. Her armor has been customized to allow for more range of movement, though she does sacrifice some defense (though she does have a shield). This means that many foes that would overwhelm Alfonse with their reflexes and agility, Sharena can keep up with.

Sure, you could argue that no specialization in a single field might be less than satisfactory, but as a counterpoint, her true strength does not come from her skills as a combatant, but rather as support. Sharena’s approachable disposition and happy-go-lucky attitude are what many Heroes have considered endearing. When’s she is cheering them on to do their best, they feel invigorated, fighting harder and taking hits without flinching. They have this drive to do the best they can for her, even if some of them would not flat out admit it. She may not be good with tactics, but her cheer is just as effective (though this doesn’t apply to every Hero).

Sharena’s main weapon of choice is the Fensalir ~~so much easier to write,~~ a legendary lance gifted to her by her father when she came of age. Its ability is an interesting one, as many of our allies have reported that they feel a sense of peace when near the weapon; this effect also works against our enemies, whose strikes become more half-hearted when near her (It also works as a means to keep some of the more rowdy Heroes in line).

However, when it goes through the Rite of Blades, its ability becomes…concerning, to say the least. The best description I can give is what one of my Heroes said after the refining process:

“It feels…off. I no longer feel calmer around it, but rather…empty, like a part of me is missing.”

At first, I didn’t know what to make of that, but then I noticed how it acted during combat; when dealing with the likes of -blade tomes, I noticed a substantial decrease in the number of blades summoned. I’ve also seen how it effects the heat wave produced by ~~Bilis~~ Býleistr, deactivating its boosts.

Further refinement (thankfully) doesn’t amplify this effect; Rather, when in the presence of another individual, Sharena not only moves faster, but her skin becomes harder, allowing her to survive physical blows easier. If I had to guess how it worked, I’d say it detects the lifeforce of surrounding allies and siphons off some to strengthen Sharena.

~~You know, I word it like that, and it doesn’t sound like this refinement isn’t any better~~

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Sharena’s friendly personality and overall average abilities makes her a good supporting unit for allies. Unfortunately, she lacks the skills to be a good leader for the Order’s small squads.

Combat wise, if you have to field her on the front lines, it’s best to pair her with Heroes that can either boosts her own abilities or can debuff enemies to give her an easier time. Pairing her up with more defensive units is also a good idea; her average defense and below-average resistance means it’s best to let enemies be softened up so Sharena can take care of them, otherwise she’ll take too much damage; mages/high resistance units should especially be considered.

Personality wise, she sits on essentially two ends of the spectrum; either you work well with her, or you don’t. Though most Heroes work great with her and benefit from her support, the more violent and standoffish Heroes (Michalis, Valter, Narcian, Walhart, etc.) _really_ don’t get along with her, and she struggles keeping her emotions and personal opinions in check. It’s best if she avoids working with them unless _really_ necessary. One of the best people she works with is actually Katarina, so pairing up those two is a good idea.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Sharena was the third Askr native I met during my time in Zenith. When she learned that I was the legendary Summoner, she warmed up to me with no hesitation.

Honestly, it’s not hard to be friends with her; she always approaches everyone with such a positive attitude, it can be hard to dislike her. Plus, she ~~wears her heart~~ (more personal lingo) is obvious with her emotions, so it’s easy to figure out what she’s feeling.

The only thing you really have to look out for is her naivety: that can get her into a lot of trouble, so be sure to temper it with some logical thinking.

 

* * *

 

Hero Entry Z002a: Sharena, Spring Princess

**OVERVIEW**

An alternate version of Sharena that took part in the Spring Festival. Unlike her brother, she was all for dressing up and getting into the festival. ~~Meaning I can’t make fun of _her_ as easily~~

Not much to talk about in terms of personality; she’s still as bubbly as before.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

This version of Sharena actually took her training in magic seriously, and has a better grasp of anima magic because of it. In fact, she’s taken lots of her previous training more seriously, having a better grasp of battle tactics and even knowing proper stances for outmaneuvering her opponent and surviving magical hits better.

Because she has replaced her standard armor for a festival outfit, her defense has taken a massive hit. Thankfully, the lack of extra weight means she’s a bit faster than her counterpart. Plus, her resistance to magic attacks has also skyrocketed since she has a better understanding of magic and how to counteract its power. Unfortunately, that training in magic took time away from building up her body’s physical endurance, meaning her constitution is poorer.

Sharena’s main weapon of choice is something called a “Muninn’s Egg,” an egg with magical properties. Firstly, it provides a small energy field that increases her resistance. It can also release a wave of magical energy that weakens a foe’s resistance and strength. However, fast enough opponents can easily shake off its effects, and this wave only activates if she is healthy; if Sharena has taken too many wounds, the wave will not be released. Considering the effects of other weapons such as Katarina’s personal tome and the refined Fensalir, the egg probably utilizes Sharena’s lifeforce in some way, so if she takes too much damage, the egg stops releasing the energy waves to avoid harming its user in some way.

Her exuberant personality is still one of her greatest weapons, as Heroes are known to fight harder and faster with her cheering them on. She also has some knowledge in tactics, though it only amounts to being able to tell people how to better survive magical hits (every bit helps though).

Also, she’s really good at finding crystals and gems (This really has no tactical value, but it’s something I noticed while working with her).

**TEAM COMPOSITION**

Her emphasis on magic and its application to combat means it is easier for this Sharena to be a frontline fighter. She trades in balance for resistance and speed at the cost of defense.

Now that she actually has some training in tactics, you could actually put her in charge of a small team, though I’d recommend only choosing those with compatible personalities. More defensive-based units can help protect her from physical blows if need be, and healers can keep her (and Muninn’s Egg) going.

Since her personality is basically unchanged (if a little more excitable), the list of Heroes she can work with remains unchanged.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

She’s still her same happy self.

The only advice I can give is this: don’t accept her offer to wear a spring outfit. No good can come from it.


	4. Anna

Hero Entry Z003: Anna, Commander

**OVERVIEW**

The leader/founder of the Order of Heroes and a member of the massive Anna family. Instead of following in the footsteps of her sisters and becoming a full-time merchant, she decided to join the Askr military, and quickly rose up to the rank of commander due to her dedication, martial prowess, and understanding of tactics. She came up with the Order during the war with Embla, with the idea that a smaller, more specialized team of Heroes would be more flexible to use during wartime.

Despite being in a position of authority, Anna takes a much more casual stance when it comes to leading; she’ll have Heroes pull their weight, and she’ll give them an earful if they decide to cause trouble, but she gives a fair bit of freedom to let them do as they please. Overall, she’s a very understanding commanding officer. She can also be incredibly plucky and positive, though it is tempered with a level-head ~~sometimes~~. In fact, you could say she’s an amalgamation of Sharena’s cheer and Alfonse’s professionalism. Aside from that, she has a ~~concerning~~ love for money, always trying to find ways to make a quick coin ~~even when it blows up in her face.~~

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Anna is one of the most experienced and skilled members of the Order of Heroes. Her training with Askr’s finest soldiers allowed her to become an efficient wielder of all weapon types; swords, lances, axes, bows, daggers, you name it, she can use it, though she seems to greatly prefer wielding axes. Also, thanks to her family bloodline, she has the ability to use all types of combat and healing magic, though she admits to not being as well-versed in that field. She also has skills in both pegasus and horse riding, but she prefers to move around on her own two feet.

Anna’s preferred method of combat emphasizes speed above all else; she’s quick on her feet and can overwhelm opponent through multiple strikes. Unsurprisingly, she’s been able to master the _Astra_ technique, making her even more dangerous with how fast she can move. She's even customized her armor to capitalize on this; it’s designed to be more lightweight and flexible than the standard Askr military outfit, granting her better mobility at the cost poorer defense. Unfortunately, the emphasis on speed also comes at the cost of her overall strength; in comparison to Alfonse and Sharena, she is the weakest of the three ~~but don’t say that to her face~~. If fighting any foe with good defenses, chances are she won’t be leaving much of a mark on them without some sort of outside assistance. Also, while her resistance is passable (no doubt because of her family’s magical abilities), her lack of defense means that even those with a weapon disadvantage can still leave a decent wound on her.

Thankfully, she is very well-versed in the art of tactics and deception. Having reached the rank of commander, she unsurprisingly has a good grasp on how to lead and position units during battle. Many Heroes have also commented that her presence is rather calming, as they feel they can survive magical hits better when she is nearby. In terms of deception skills, Anna uses her lack of defenses to her advantage; by receiving a sizable enough wound and using her acting skills to act all hysterical, she is able to place the enemy into a false sense of security where they believe she is no longer a threat and can be killed with one last strike. However, as I’ve said, it’s all an act; she uses her opponent’s more relaxed disposition against them by moving with such speed that they are caught off guard, allowing her to strike (and possibly kill) them before they can retaliate. She’s incredibly wily, and it’s no surprise she was able to become a commander in the first place.

Anna’s main weapon of choice is the ~~Nua~~ Nóatún, a legendary axe passed on to her by her commanding officer. The weapon is imbued with the magical properties seen in Warp and Rescue staves, allowing her to teleport (in a cyclone of wind) to the safety of another ally if she becomes too wounded. It basically grants Anna freedom of movement throughout the battlefield, allowing her teleport not only out of danger to the safety of healer, but also to teleport to other areas where our soldiers are fighting, essentially letting her ambush foes. However, its warping capabilities _only_ activate when she is heavily wounded, meaning she’ll have to be in danger for it to work.

The Rite of Blades, however, fixes that problem to an extent; aside from letting her warp at a better damage threshold, she can also warp to nearby allies as long as she’s not too wounded if refined further. While this new, unwounded warp ~~yes, that’s weird terminology but I’m sticking with it~~ lacks the same range, it’s still a boon for her, since now she can ambush foes without having to be at death’s door.

Being, she’s also pretty good at haggling and making money ~~and thank God for that, considering how much damage is done to the castle due to the likes of Chrom, Lucina, and Felicia~~. She’s also pretty good with lockpicking ~~she may say locksmithing but we all know what it actually is Anna!~~

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Anna’s approachable disposition, weapon ability, and speed capabilities make her a good squad leader and frontline fighter, provided you have a way to patch up her defenses.

Individuals with good defense work well with Anna, being able to soak up physical hits and weakening foes for her to finish off. Those that can lower enemy defense are also a good choice to pair with her, since she does lack strength compared to other Heroes. Healers are also a good choice, since Nóatún’s power lets her warp to them so she can be healed. While she does have the resistance to go against mages and the like, I’d recommend placing a Hero who can boost resistance on her team, since it would help her survivability.

Since she’s a commander, it doesn’t come as a surprise to me that she works well with almost anyone. Plus, most Heroes (save those from Valentia) know who Anna is, so there is mutual respect and cordial interactions between them and her (save for the more standoffish Heroes). In fact, her best compatibility comes from Alfonse, Sharena, Heroes from Ylisse, Heroes from Nohr, Heroes from Hoshido, and Heroes from Valla, as every single one of them has fought alongside an Anna previously.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Anna was the one who summoned me into this world. While she was at first put off by my non-legendary appearance, she came to respect me due my skills as a tactician and accepted me intro the group soon after.

Like I said many times before, it’s easy to work with her and approach her. If you have anything you want to get off of your chest, she’ll be willing to listen and offer advice if need be. She’s an amazing commander.

Unfortunately, she has a hard time agreeing with such an opinion sometimes.

She may hide it behind a smile and whimsical attitude, but Bruno’s disappearance and the dragged-on war with Embla has made her question her skills as a leader. Not only that, she also feels that she is a poor Anna; she has nowhere near the same amount of gold or investments as her sisters, and even her skills at haggling and money making are pretty mediocre in comparison to them, though still great considering she’s…you know, _an Anna_. Considering she bears the responsibility of both being an Askr Commander _and_ being part of the most prestigious merchant family, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that she has some feelings of inadequacy.

With that in mind, this is all I have to say; be there for her. If she comes up with money making plan, help her out (within reason). If she wants your thoughts/opinions on some souvenirs she plans on selling, give your own ideas of what she could sell. If she seems to be working on the Order’s next move, help her out in some way. The point is just to show her that you’re there for her. She’ll probably never admit it, but she will be thankful for your support.


	5. Veronica

Hero Entry Z004: Veronica, Brave Princess

**OVERVIEW**

Imperial Princess of Embla, and daughter to the deceased Emperor and his second wife. Veronica’s father had attempted to capture Heroes and make his nation the most the most powerful and prosperous. Though he had much support from his people, he was eventually killed during his war with Askr, with peace coming soon after when the Empress was given the crown. However, Veronica would soon follow in her late father’s footsteps, travelling to other realms and binding those world’s Heroes under her control, with the intent to conquer Askr and crush all those that would defy her.

This Veronica…is not the one I have just described. Instead, she comes from a version of Zenith where she took more after her mother than her father, doing her best to keep the peace between Embla and Askr. She has also spent a fair amount of time searching for her missing brother Bruno, and has received assistance from other Heroes such as Xander.

Veronica is very different in personality compared to the royals of Askr; she’s not bubbly like Sharena nor as composed as Alfonse. In fact, Veronica is more introverted and soft-spoken, and some cases, more childish with the way she acts. Justifiable though, considering that not only is she much younger in comparison to her peers, but she’s also a very lonely kid, having grown up surrounded by servants and caretakers. Veronica can be a bit awkward around others, especially with the likes of more upbeat Heroes. It doesn’t help that she can be a bit…callous on occasion, especially with how she threatens others. That said, there is a heart of compassion hidden behind such a disposition, though it has difficulty showing itself.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Veronica is incredibly well-versed in the field of magic, equal to the likes of Lute and Lyon in terms of prowess. She has an impressive understanding of combat magic (especially the likes of anima and dark), healing magic, and even some minor hexes. However, she is really _only_ skilled in the magical arts when it comes to defending herself; she has little to no experience in using swords, lances, axes, bows, daggers, basically any sort of physical weapon. Outside of combat skills, she knows how to ride a horse (as both her brother and Xander helped teach her) and it’s her preferred method to move around the battlefield.

Since she rides a horse, it should come as no surprise that she is not only rather speedy, but also can cover great distances. This, plus the fact that this version of Veronica prefers to utilize healing magic, means that she can support our allies more effectively than other healers. She also packs a bit of a punch due to her magical skill, so she can help frontline fighters in that way too. However, she lacks good protection, wearing light armor that provides poor defense and resistance; it doesn’t take much to take this princess down.

Thankfully, as mentioned previously, she has great understanding of magical theory, and that means she has some neat tricks up her sleeve. For one, she has access to a special hex that can increase her allies’ defenses if they stand in a specific radius around her, allowing them to survive hits more easily (though I should mention that fast enough projectiles – like daggers and arrows – and non-draconic magic will ignore this hex). She can also overcharge a healing spell to increase the strength and speed of all allies she fights alongside (though this can put a strain on her body), allowing them to fight more ferociously.

Though the regular Veronica uses the tome ~~Eleva~~ Élivágar, this version uses the staff ~~Hlud Hildskal~~ Hliðskjálf. ~~What is up with these names?~~ This legendary weapon was a gift from Askr after the war, and was meant to represent the two nations’ healing relationship. This staff can encase foes in ice strong enough to temporarily immobilize them and stop them from counterattacking. Also, unlike most standard staves, it doesn’t deal weakened damage, meaning foes are hit with the full brunt of the ice. On top of that, the ice quickly evaporates into a mist, and any individuals that are exposed to it are drained of their strength, speed, defense, and resistance. The keyword here is _drained_ ; all that energy not only goes to Veronica, but also any nearby allies, boosting their own strength, speed, defense, and resistance.

(It should be noted that unlike the Askr legendary wepaons, ~~Hlid~~ Hliðskjálf does not seem to react to the Rite of Blades, meaning it cannot be refined)

She also carries a Restore staff for healing. Quite simply, it is a staff that can repair the greatest of wounds.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Veronica’s use of healing magic, support-based abilities, and power of her staff make her a Hero can be used in both offensively and defensively, though she will need her own support if used offensively.

Heroes with great defense and/or resistance can help protect her from foes that can really hurt her, and her staff’s ability can increase their impressive defenses even more. More balanced Heroes, like Sharena, can also benefit from Hliðskjálf’s ability. She also works well with other cavalry units, as their knowledge on proper cavalry formations and such means she can capitalize on her speed and power and patch up her weak defenses.

Surprisingly, Veronica actually works well with more extroverted Heroes like Nino, Sharena, and Corrin, enjoying their company whenever she decides to host tea parties (She’s still a bit shy around them, but she’s making an effort to improve her social skills). She also gets along well with the Nohrian siblings since, in their own words, she “is a lot like Corrin back when they were locked up in the Northern Fortress.” She works especially well with Xander, and the two have a very close relationship. However, she doesn’t work well with anyone from Múspell (unsurprising, considering what she’s seen their king do). Outside of those groups, Veronica works well enough with everyone else, nothing noteworthy to mention.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Honestly, I was a little perturbed when I summoned this Veronica; memories of how she had tried to kill me in the past were flashing through my mind when I saw that familiar head of platinum-blond hair. Thankfully, it got less awkward once I learned more about her world and how different she truly is from her counterpart.

She can be a little…awkward to interact with at first, since she hasn’t had much experience socializing with others of similar standing. Still, hang out with her enough, and she’ll start to feel comfortable around you. Behind the mask she wears is a lonely girl that just needs some happiness, so be sure to make her feel welcomed.

That being said, there is one thing you should watch out for; while this Veronica may be nicer than the original one, she still has moments where she becomes more violent due to her bloodline. It’s best to keep an eye out for such episodes, and make sure she gets snapped out of it.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hero Entry Z004a: Veronica, Spring Princess

**OVERVIEW**

An alternate version of Veronica that took part in the Spring Festival. She only joined the event and got dressed up at the request of both Loki and her brother.

There is hardly any difference in personality, aside from possibly being a little more approachable ~~hard to tell sometimes, since she’s as emotive as a brick wall~~ and having a fondness for rabbits.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

There are few differences in Veronica’s general training/skills in weapons and magic, only that unlike her cavalry counterpart, she’s utilizing her skill in combat magic rather than healing magic. The only other notable additions to her repertoire are that she understands how to utilize the _Glimmer_ technique, she knows how to utilize a hex that can weaken a target’s resistance, and she knows how to ride a pegasus rather than a horse.

As this Veronica traded in her armor for a festival outfit, she has weaker defense and armor than her counterpart. However, she trumps her counterpart in almost every other field; her resistance is much higher due her mount’s natural resistance to magic, she has a _much_ greater constitution, and her magical strength is slightly more potent (though that could be just because she’s using the type of magic she’s most familiar with).

Similar to the Spring-variant of Sharena, Veronica also uses a magical egg as her weapon of choice called “ ~~Ved Vir Vidr~~ Veðrfölnir’s Egg.” The egg not only passively grants her heighten reflexes and speed, but can even actively enhance her magical power, defense, resistance, and speed even further provided her health is in good condition; if she takes too much damage, the egg’s enchantment will fizzle out.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Because Veronica has taken a more offensive role, she makes for an effective frontline fighter and especially an effective counter to enemy mages.

Veronica’s use of a flying mount means she now easily fits into aerial teams instead of cavalry, and her greater resistance means she can deter mages and protect her less resistance-inclined allies. Healers make a good support option for her, as their healing can make sure that her weapon’s enchantment stays active.

The list of Heroes she can work with largely remains unchanged; the only major difference is that this Veronica hangs around Panne more, no doubt due to the latter’s ability to transform into a rabbit.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

I thought it was weird enough summoning one version of Veronica to fight alongside the Order. Seeing (and for that matter, summoning) a version of her in such a silly get-up is just…baffling to the mind. I swear, first time I saw her, I thought I was hallucinating due to my lack of proper rest.

This world just keeps throwing me curve-balls.


	6. The Black Knight

Hero Entry T045: Black Knight, Sinister General

**OVERVIEW**

One of the Four Riders of Daein - the most powerful generals amongst Daein’s military - and the strongest of the four. Hardly anything is known about this man, not even his physical appearance, as he is always seen encased in a black suit of heavy armor that has supposedly been blessed by Tellius’ goddess Ashera. All that is truly known about him by some is that he is obsessed with the famed mercenary Greil and is also the right-hand man of King Ashnard.

At least, that is what the general Tellius population probably knows about him. The truth is that he is Zelgius, a general of the Begnion Imperial Central Army and servant to the Duke of Persis, Sephiran (which also makes him a follower of Apostle Sanaki). When he wasn’t shrouded in his Black Knight disguise acting as a double-agent for the Duke, he commanded the Begnion army in assisting Crimea during Ashnard’s war. The truth about him goes even deeper; he is one of the Branded, the result of a union between a beorc/human and a laguz. Individuals such as him have the extended life spans of laguz and the appearance of beorc/humans; the only evidence of their heritage is the appearance of brand somewhere on their body, hence the name. He was even trained by Greil himself, back when the mercenary leader was a part of the Daein army and lived under the name Gawain.

Zelgius’ Black Knight persona differs in some ways to his standard personality (which will be discussed in his sub-entry T045a); for one, he exudes an aura of arrogance, believing himself to be near-untouchable due to his blessed armor. He also enjoys a good fight, always seeking worthy foes to test his blade against, such as Xander, Ephraim, Hector, and Greil’s son Ike. Anyone he believes to be lacking in skill, he views as a waste of time to challenge. Unsurprisingly, this attitude has made him distant from most individuals. He is incredibly ruthless and cold-hearted, though not without _some_ noble qualities; for example, I’ve never seen him raise his blade against a non-combatant.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Being trained by Greil back in the Daein army, plus his long life-span giving him plenty of time to work on his battle prowess, has given Zelgius an impressive understanding of most physical weapons; he has an excellent grasp on how to utilize both swords and lances, a good understanding of axes, and a decent understanding of bows. The only weapon he really lacks training in is daggers. He also lacks any aptitude for magic, so don’t expect him to use any spells anytime some. He does, however, know a unique variant of the _Luna_ technique he calls _Black Luna_ ; it is essentially a more powerful strike that can easily tear through most of an enemy’s defenses.

His fighting style, to no surprise, is also something he learned from Greil, and is one that favors physical defense and power. In fact, one of his most favored stances is one that minimizes damage received from physical blows like swords and bows if he is on the defensive. Fortunately, this style doesn’t sacrifice one’s speed as much as you might think. Zelgius uses this to his advantage; few people would expect an armored knight to move with speed and reflexes similar to your standard myrmidon or mercenary. He does a good job of catching people off guard. However, fast fighters like Mia and Karla can still outspeed him if given the chance; while he may not be as weighed down by his armor as other knights, those extra layers still limit the distance he can travel and his range of motion for his arms and the like.

There’s another problem when it comes to his armor. As mentioned previously, his armor has been blessed by Tellius’ goddess Ashera to be impervious to common weaponry, be they physical or magical; only those wielding a similarly blessed weapon (like Ragnell) or those with overwhelming power (such as the Laguz royalty and the like) can pierce its defenses. This blessing has made him cocky; after all, what does he have to fear when there is so little that can harm him? Only, there is one problem:

His armor has lost its blessing upon coming to Zenith.

I am assuming that since he is no longer on the same realm of existence as his goddess, Ashera’s protective blessing is now void, meaning his armor is now susceptible to damage. Unfortunately, he didn’t realize that at first, and that cockiness from having an impenetrable defense for so long made him sloppy in some regards. Just for reference, he goaded an enemy knight into trying to harm him with their heavy lance, a weapon specifically designed to rip through heavy armor similar to his. He was rewarded for his cockiness by having his guts almost spill onto the floor when one of their swings carved through his stomach. I still remember how surprised he – and the Greil Mercenaries who were aware of his armor’s blessing – were when that happened ~~and how it almost stopped my heart~~.

~~I will admit, however, to getting some satisfaction at beating him down with a lecture on such actions~~

To get back on topic, the lack of blessing protection essentially means that he wears a set of armor that can take physical hits well, but not magical ones. And since he hasn’t unlearned that his armor isn’t invulnerable to damage anymore, he can be reckless with his attacks on occasion.

Zelgius’ main weapon of choice is the Alondite, sister blade to Ike’s Ragnell and one of Tellius’ legendary weapons. Also blessed by the goddess Ashera, it is immensely powerful, able to strike foes from afar by slinging out shockwaves of wind. It is also one of the few weapons that can break through Zelgius’ blessed armor back in Tellius. It is also _supposed_ to harden the skin of the user to make them more impervious to physical blows, but similarly to his armor’s blessing, that power seems to have been lost upon entering the realm of Zenith. It also does not seem to react to the Rite of Blades, meaning it cannot be refined.

The only other unique item on his person is a satchel filled with warp powder, a special compound that allows him to teleport around the battlefield in order to assist allies and catch opponents off guard. However, overuse of this item is draining on the user’s stamina, so it should be used both sparingly and only in emergencies.

Because he has held positions of power as both a Rider of Daein and as a general in the Begnion army, he actually is pretty knowledge on battle tactics and formations, though not as skilled as Saias and the like. Still, his input shouldn’t be dismissed ~~even if it does come from his more ruthless persona.~~

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Zelgius’ experience leading soldiers and his own impressive fighting style makes him not only a good squad leader, but also a good defender.

In terms of combat, He should be paired up with users with high resistance, as his armor is rather poor in defending against magical based attacks. Healers are also a good option to support him with; since Alondite allows him to counterattack ranged units, he’ll no doubt suffer a fair amount of wounds from the number of enemies he can attack and as such, should be kept in good condition. It’s also best if he is paired up with other armor knights like Amelia and Hector, as they know some good tricks on how to fight more efficiently in heavy armor.

Personality-wise, however, it’s harder to give suggestions; almost all of the Greil Mercenaries refuse to work with him unless absolutely necessary (The Ike from after the defeat of Ashera is the only one who seems willing to work with him), most of the other Tellius Heroes, like Sanaki and Oliver, are wary of him, and anyone not from Tellius is put-off by his attitude. Some, like Seth, Frederick, and similar duty-bound individuals, can look past that and work with him, but they aren’t happy with it. In fact, the _only_ individual that actually works well with him is Micaiah.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Zelgius joined us when a Tempest emerged in the realm of Tellius. At the time, he was curious to test his skill against a doppelganger of himself, and worked alongside us, Lucina, and the Greil Mercenaries she recruited. Once the Tempest was quelled, he stayed with us for unknown reasons (probably to continue honing his skill against challenging opponents).

Zelgius in his Black Knight persona can be…troublesome sometimes, if only because of how enigmatic and cold he can be. However, spend enough time with him, and you’ll eventually get a feel of how to interact with him. In fact, interact with him long enough, and you’ll start to notice that he’ll stick closer to you, like a guardian of sorts (at least, that’s what he did with me). It’s also best to show him kindness and appreciation, if only so he can have good memories to balance out the bad ones.

 

* * *

 

Hero Entry T045a: Zelgius, Jet-Black General

**OVERVIEW**

A version of Zeligus that comes from the time when Ike, Micaiah, and their soldiers traversed the Tower of Guidance and defeated Ashera. In fact, he is one of the few Heroes in our Order who has come to us after their death.

Since he is not in his Black Knight disguise, his true personality can be shown, and unsurprisingly, he is a model commander: loyal, honorable, and clever. Though he still has a drive to challenge those of great skill, he is nowhere near as ruthless as his Rider of Daein counterpart. In fact, he makes a pretty good instructor, giving out harsh but fair critiques and being a good sport during sparring matches. That being said, there is a sort of sadness to him; while Black Knight Zelgius is distanced from others due to his mysterious and ruthless nature, this Zeligus distances himself from most individuals out of fear of growing too close (considering the persecution of branded individuals, this isn’t all that surprising).

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

In general, his fighting style has largely remained unchanged, with the only notable difference being that the stance he favors now is one that increases the power of his swings, meaning he damages foes more effectively. Much like his counterpart, the lack of Ashera’s Blessing (on an account of Ike breaking through his armor back in the Mad King’s War) means he is no longer invulnerable. _Unlike_ his counterpart though, this occurred in Tellius, so he has had time to acclimate to his lack of invincibility; he’s not as reckless in his charges (though this means he is not as fast), and he makes more of an effort to defend against enemy blows, be they magical or physical.

He still has access to his supply of warp powder, though he’s reluctant to use it if wounded; since warp powder drains a user’s stamina and his armor is no longer impervious, he is threatened with death if used at the wrong time or if he’s too wounded. He also still carries Alondite, and can still utilize _Black Luna_.

Aside from that, his impressive aura of dauntlessness and power puts many foes on edge, and can even strike fear in those of weaker mental constitution.

**TEAM COMPOSITION**

Zelgius’ compatibility with other Heroes combat-wise largely remains unchanged, so no comment there.

On a more personal level, his different temperament is actually more beneficial; though most still know him as the Black Knight, his politeness and overall amiability means a fair number of Heroes are less reluctant to work with him, like Sanaki. He still has trouble working with some people, but overall, his compatibility levels are somewhat greater.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

There is a sadness behind his eyes; the abuse he had to suffer for being a branded has broken him in some ways. While the Black Knight hides such pain with his mystery and cold-heartedness, this one’s feelings are obvious to keen observers. Kindness and appreciation are your greatest tools to help him heal.

Some may say he shouldn’t be given such mercies considering what he’s done, but I’m a soft-hearted fool.


	7. Helbindi

Hero Entry Z012: Helbindi, Savage Scourge

**OVERVIEW**

One of the three major generals of Múspell during the invasion of Nifl. Unlike Laegjarn and Laevatein, however, he is not a member of the Múspell royalty, but rather a commoner from the slums who gained his position through sheer grit, talent, and determination. He has lived in the slums for most of his life, taking care of his little sister Menja after both of their parents died (most likely due to disease, I’m assuming). Upon his promotion to the position of general, he was stationed to guard the entrance to Múspell, which is where the Order of Heroes first encountered him.

Having grown up in harsh conditions, Helbindi’s personality is similarly rough; he’s blunt, crude, short-tempered, and violent; he isn’t afraid to insult those around him or even himself. To a casual observer, one would think he would not fit with the Order of Heroes, what with the way he acts; however, underneath that jerkish exterior is a kind heart. Though rare, he has shown concern for other members of the Order, especially younger ones like Maria and Ylgr. He even does his best to make sure that the younger members are properly cared for and protected, no doubt being reminded of Menja when he sees them. He’ll never admit to his softer side, but it is there. He may believe in Múspell idea of strength above all else, but he is empathetic to the younger and weaker members.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Though trained by the Múspell army, it should be noted that most of his experience with weapons and battle comes from what he has done during the invasion of Nifl, as his promotion was incredibly recent. As such, he hasn’t had much time to learn/practice with many weapons nor polish up on his fighting style. In terms of weapons, he has a good grasp on how to use an axe, the barest of knowledge on lances and swords, and no understanding of bows. While he _can_ use weapons like daggers and shuriken, it should be noted that he has no dexterity with them, he just throws them hard enough that he can bruise the bones of less armored individuals. ~~Would probably make for a good sports player with that throwing arm, now that I think about it.~~ Despite that, he should not be underestimated.

While Laegjarn can outsmart opponents using tactics and Laevatein can overpower foes with sheer strength and swordsmanship, Helbindi can usually outlast individuals in a fight. His experiences in the slums combined with what training in the army he did get has made him incredibly hard to put down, giving him impressive constitution, defense, and resistance, despite the lack of much armor. Even when using techniques like _Luna_ against him, he just refuses to go down, and his determination to always keep on fighting means that he fights even harder the closer he is to death. Also, he hits incredibly hard as well due to his innate strength. ~~I have you seen the muscles on this guy?~~ However, he does have a problem in fighting style when it comes to speed and finesse; he simply cannot counterattack quickly against other foes. Even individuals like Alfonse, whose style of combat emphasizes power over speed, can overwhelm him with strikes in the right circumstances. Plus, Helbindi’s method of fighting is to brazenly hit with lots of force; he has not grace nor discipline with his strikes, meaning more trained fighters can parry and counterattack him easily.

Aside from that, there is also his position as a general to consider, and while he may not have the skill with tactics/strategy like Laegjarn or other generals do, he makes up for it by being surprisingly good at keeping up morale during battle. The way he can just keep on going and fighting even when heavily wounded is rather awe-inspiring; he invigorates his allies to keep on fighting and to never falter in their assault (infantry seem to especially benefit from such bravado). Likewise, such a mindset even unnerves some of the most unwavering of foes, causing them to fight more cautiously than they usually would.

Helbindi utilizes the legendary axe ~~Bil Byles~~ Býleistr, one of Múspell’s sacred weapons, gifted to him upon his promotion to general, and synergizes really well with how he fights. What Býleistr does is release a short-ranged heat wave that invigorates and strengthens not only him, but also any allies that are close to him; their attacks hit harder, they move faster, and they can survive blows more easily. For individuals like Helbindi, they become that much harder to defeat, and it can great help out the longevity of other fighters as well. It even seems to power up the strength of -blade tomes, which is a great bonus. It’s only real drawback is that its activation is inconsistent; the heat wave is sporadically released, and so you can’t always rely on the weapon’s ability for battle (However, I do believe that there is an indicator when the ability will activate, and that is when the red stones on the back of the axe-head begin to glow bright red).

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Having held a position of power in the military, Helbindi makes for a good enough team leader, especially if he’s leading infantry and is part of a more aggressive strike force. However, it is best to also pair him up with a more level-headed Hero, since his aggressiveness can be problematic on occasion.

His emphasis on survivability makes him a good unit to pair up with a healer; he provides them protection while they keep him fighting by fixing wounds. Faster units can also be a good partner for him, being a good counter against similarly fast foes that would give him trouble. In terms of who _he_ can support, Heroes with more balanced strengths, like Sharena, can greatly benefit from the boosts of Býleistr to become even more dangerous.

Though his rough personality can make it problematic for him to work with others on occasion, Helbindi isn’t without good partners. Unsurprisingly, he doesn’t work well with the Nifl royals (save Ylgr), but he can work with the Múspell royals (save Surtr). He also works really well with younger members of the Order like Maria, Sakura, and Elise, doing his best to protect them (no doubt he sees Menja in them). This protective attitude has actually won him some respect from other older siblings such as Ryoma, Minerva, Chrom, which he reciprocates (albeit begrudgingly).

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

I should know by now that Breidablik will summon anyone regardless of allegiance or moral standing. Still, I couldn’t help but be surprised when he _did_ show up.

Helbindi can be a bit frustrating to work with, what with how he seems to think almost everyone around him is filth, but ultimately I respect him; he cared more about making sure Menja could live happily than anything else. A shame that bastard Surtr ran the Kingdom of Fire. I’d keep an eye on him when he’s around though; Menja was basically the only reason for him to keep on living, so he might actively put himself (and indirectly others) in danger with his aggressive fighting style and drive to be in the thick of things. It’s best if you get him interacting with the other members of the Order of Heroes to curb those death-seeking tendencies.


	8. Julius

Hero Entry J055: Julius, Scion of Darkness

**OVERVIEW**

Prince of the Grannvale Empire, son of Deirdre and Arvis, brother to Julia, and half-brother to both Saias and Seliph. Born some time after the Battle of Belhalla, he was the result of Manfroy’s twisted scheme to revive the Earth Dragon Loptous into a new vessel. When he was gifted said dragon’s tome one day, his personality transformed from a once kind boy into a sadistic and cruel tyrant that did everything in his power to transform the Grannvale Empire into a mirror of the ancient Lopt Empire. He has major Loptous blood and minor Fjalar blood.

The beast behind Julius’ possession, Loptous, was once a member of the dragon civilizations of ancient Archanea that refused to become a manakete once his kind began their degeneration into madness. During that time, he encountered a man named Galle, who wanted the power of the dragons for himself. Loptous then made a pact with him, accompanied him back to Jugdral, and created Loptyrian religion, which then led to the formation of the Lopt Empire. He ruled over Jugdral with an iron grip for centuries, until the 12 Crusaders (supported by Naga and many other dragons) led a revolution that led to the fall of the Empire and the defeat of Loptous. His conscience would stay dormant in his tome for many years until Manfroy’s plans led to the birth of Julius, the perfect vessel for him to possess.

Admittedly, not much is known about Julius’ personality before Loptous’ takeover; Julia has mentioned that he was once a kind (and slightly shy) child that easily got ill. The only other personality trait that I’m positive is from him and not Loptous is his love and affection for Ishtar (though it has been twisted and exaggerated by Loptous’ cruel nature). Post-takeover, Julius is a model tyrant; wicked and malevolent, he finds great pleasure in crushing and killing those that attempt to oppose him. He is also incredibly arrogant, believing himself to be above all those around him, even those similar in power to him like Garon, Tiki, and Grima (He especially _hates_ any of the Heroes connected to Naga). Julius’ love for Ishtar has also been horribly twisted into something more jealous and obsessive.

That being said, it seems as if Julius’ original personality is still present in some regard, if the mutterings and headaches I’ve heard him suffering from are of any indication.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Julius is one of the most powerful and versatile wielders of magic in the Order (though considering his heritage, it’s no surprise), having an impressive grasp of all types of anima magic and especially dark magic. He even has a few hexes in his arsenal, his most used one being a hex that saps a foe’s strength and can disrupt their concentration (though it can be shaken off by those of impressive resolve and resistance). However, he lacks experience with using light magic, and while he _can_ utilize staves, he prefers not to, as he enjoys taking an offensive role during combat. Also, his skills only lie in the magical arts; he has no skill whatsoever with swords, axes, lances, bows, or daggers.

Combat wise, he seems similar to your textbook mage; Impressive resistance and power, but lacking the armor/defenses and constitution to take a physical blow. Plus, he doesn’t seem all that fast either. However, the Grannvale prince is actually pretty hard to put down; a combination of his hexes and the ability of his tome (which will be discussed later) help patch up his defenses by weakening his foe’s strength. He can also tap in to his draconic powers to enhance his already devastating magic attacks even further, easily breaking through armor and magic barriers. While I wouldn’t say that he’d make a great frontline fighter, he doesn’t need to hang back as much as your regular mage.

Julius also has one other skill that does not see much use in the Order for ethical and moral reasons: his prowess in necromancy. Back in Jugdral, one of his greatest achievements (or maybe it would be more accurate to say Loptous’ achievement instead?) was the creation of the twelve Deadlords, undead warriors of immense power produced through the use of dark magic and corpses. Individually, each of them could go toe-to-toe with the likes of even Ike or Hector. They would be an excellent asset to any army…provided you are willing to pay the price for such actions. Considering the Order’s vehement rejection of such techniques, they most likely will never make an appearance unless it is during desperate times, or if created by an enemy Julius.

The infamous Loptous tome is Julius’ main weapon of choice, a powerful spell book whose pages contain the full might of the Earth Dragon. Aside from granting him a minor boost to his resistance, it also shrouds him a purple aura that can the dull the strength of almost any physical or magical weapon; swords and lances don’t bite as deeply into flesh, while fireballs and lightning bolts lose most of their power on impact. Not even other legendary weapons like the god-killing Ragnell or destructive Forblaze can pierce his shroud, nor can special techniques like _Aether_ and _Astra_ destroy it. The only weapons that can invalidate said aura are those enchanted to cut through dragon hide, such as the divine Naga tome and all the Falchion variants. In fact, because a wielder of the tome inherits all the characteristics of Loptous, his weaknesses to manakete/dragon-killing weapons carries over onto his host as well, meaning Julius actually takes increased damage from them.

(Interestingly, the Loptous tome is one of the few legendary weapons that was not greatly weakened upon its arrival into Askr; whereas weapons like Valflame and Forseti had a fair number of their bonuses nullified or diminished at first, Loptous has held on to most of its power. Perhaps it is because the Earth Dragon technically lives in the book?)

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Julius has immense power and a handful of tricks up his sleeve, which makes him a deadly combatant. However, his violent tendencies and smug disposition can make him rather hard to work with.

Though Loptous’ power and his hexes can increase his survivability against physical opponents, it’s still best to pair him up with a more defensive Heroes. Also, since he lacks the speed to keep up with fast fighters, it’d be a good idea to pair him up with fast fighters of your own to protect him. Healers are also a good option as well ~~though honestly, when aren’t they?~~

Out of all the Heroes that are part of the Order, Julius possibly has one of the worse compatibility levels when it comes to working with others; he outright refuses to work with anyone connected to Naga - the Tikis, Marth’s family line, Alm (due to Falchion), etc. – and Loptous’ dislike for humanity means he’ll find no companions there either. He especially has a hatred for both Reinhardt and Seliph. The only individuals he has a decent enough relationship with are Ishtar, Garon, Gharnef, and the Grimas, but his conversations and interactions with the other two dragon vessels are filled backhanded compliments and subtle insults. ( ~~all of them are arrogant/crazy dragons with immense power, what did you expect?)~~ Gharnef only follows him because of the similarities to Medeus, and Ishtar is the only one who’s respect is genuinely reciprocated in any way.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

The Grannvale Prince was conscripted into the Order during the war with Surtr; we stumbled across a portal that took us to Belhalla, where he greeted us with his army of Deadlords. The battle was grueling, but he was eventually defeated.

I pity Julius – the actual Julius, not the dragon that masquerades as him. He was born into this world because a madman wanted to revive a long dead dragon and the empire he ruled. Honestly, he didn’t deserve such a fate.

As for Loptous himself, I don’t trust him. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he was working behind my back to break free of Breidablik’s contract so he can wreak havoc across Zenith. It’s best to keep an eye on him when you can. He hates humanity, so he definitely does not enjoy taking orders from a human.

Also, and this is no doubt my bleeding heart talking, see if you can find a way to lessen Loptous’ influence on the boy. I know he is still in there somewhere – the headaches and mutterings of “stay back!” prove that. It’d be nice to see him truly reunite with his family and meet his half-siblings.


	9. Lachesis

Hero Entry J017: Lachesis, Lionheart’s Sister

**OVERVIEW**

Princess of Nordion, half-sister of Eldigan, mother to Nanna, and aunt to Ares. Much like her brother, she is a friend of Sigurd, and assisted him in the Agustrian Civil War against Chagall. After Chagall’s death (and unfortunately the execution of Eldigan), she continued to assist the Chalphy noble up to the tragic Battle of Belhalla. Surprisingly though, she is one of the few that was recorded to have survived the battle, fleeing to Leonstar alongside Finn, where she resided until Travant’s conquering of Manster.  Though she fled to several hiding locations after that, she soon disappeared in the Yied Desert, never to be heard from again. She has minor Hezul blood.

Being of noble standing, Lachesis is (unsurprisingly) quite well-mannered and polite, being a master of proper etiquette. However, she is also incredibly prideful and strong-willed as well, never hesitating to voice her objections or call anyone out for their actions. She can be fiercely independent and often refuses and defies those that would dare make decisions for her. However, she is not without her flaws, specifically when it comes to her brother Eldigan; she holds him to such an unreasonably high standard that “all other men fall short in comparison” (her words, not mine). Honestly, it’s rather…concerning sometimes, how much she admires her brother. Frankly, it’s admiration that borders on obsession.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Lachesis is one of the more versatile fighters in the Order, having a great understanding of swords and decent understanding of lances, no doubt skills she picked up from her brother. She is also pretty well-versed in the field of healing magic, though that is her weaker field in comparison. Interestingly, despite lacking the proper training for both bows and axes, she actually has some natural skill with both weapon types, knowing proper (if unrefined) stances for the both of them. Similarly, she seems to have the potential to utilize most forms of combat magic (specifically anima and holy) as well. In fact, the only fields she lacks any knowledge and skill in are the fields of dark magic, hexes, and daggers. Also, just like her brother, she knows how to ride a horse, though she is not as skilled as him in mounted combat yet.

Though she is trained in physical weapons, Lachesis has preferred to take a more supportive role, using staves instead. Though she has decent enough resistance to deter weaker mages, she lacks the defenses to deter physical foes (in all fairness though, it is not as bad as some other magically-inclined heroes like Arvis and Delthea). While her general constitution is decent enough for a healer, she lacks the speed and reflexes to dodge some of the not-as-fast fighters, meaning it’s rather moot during certain match-ups. Thankfully, her magical strength is actually pretty decent, meaning she can not only put a dent in foes with weak resistance, but also heal some of the more grievous wounds her allies might suffer during battle. She even has enough skill with magic to create a small barrier for nearby allies, allowing them to absorb magical blows a little better. However, it is _very_ short range, so keep that in mind.

She also knows a special healing technique where she overcharges her staff’s healing power in order to harden her allies’ flesh, allowing them to survive physical blows more easily; however, this requires immense concentration to spread out to multiple targets and can be draining if overused.

Her favored staves are the Physic staff and the Absorb staff. The Physic staff is unique among healing staves for its ability to heal at long range at the cost of potency; Since the staff taps into the wielder’s magical reserves to cover long distances, not as much energy can go to healing wounds, though that can be a nonissue for strong enough healers. Her other staff is the Absorb staff, one of the few staves designed for combat; it saps the life force of the target and adds it to the wielder, allowing them to heal their own wounds should they suffer damage. However, the design of the staff suffers from two glaring flaws, that being (A) some of the energy sapped away disappears in the process, meaning the wielder only receives around 50% of the life force stolen to heal their wounds, and (B) almost all combat based staves cannot properly output and control the energy used to attack, meaning that they often lack the power to cause significant or lasting damage. As such, while it may seem like a good weapon on paper, it’s actually pretty terrible in practice.

Thankfully, the Rite of Blades not only can be used to refine legendary weapons, it can also be used to refine common weapons as well. When properly refined, the staff not only can control the flow of magical energy easier in order to cause more damage, it can also transfer the life energy that would be lost through the absorption process into nearby allies, meaning it can heal multiple targets at once. Further refinement also leads to two standard staff modifications, the first being one that releases a blinding flash of light that can stop foes from counterattacking (which requires proper concentration ~~like most things healers do~~ ), and the second refining the staff’s magic control to finally stop doing decreased damage.

She also carries a short sword for protection if enemies get too close.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Though Lachesis is a polite enough individual and is a good healer for any party, her ~~admiration~~ obsession for her brother can be ~~a bit~~ off-putting (which thankfully only happens off the battlefield).

As she knows a handful of techniques that can increase an ally’s survivability _and_ is able to heal from a distance, she can be a great assist for many frontline fighters, fortifying their defenses while still being able to heal them if she can’t be close by for whatever reason. Her own decent resistance can also help her act as a sort of check against mages, though you shouldn’t rely on her consistently for that. As her own defenses and speed can be rather lacking, a heavily armored ally or a speedy ally can watch her back if need be.

Having worked with them in the past, Lachesis has very good compatibility with Sigurd and his companions, especially with the likes of Finn (assuming that the Finn/Lachesis you summon was in a relationship with them). She also works very well with Seliph and his companions, and is incredibly protective of both Ares and Nanna ~~when she isn’t spoiling them.~~ She works best fighting alongside her brother Eldigan ~~to the shock of no one.~~ Outside of Heroes from Jugdral, she works well enough with most of the nobility/kind hearted individuals from other realms, like Maribelle, Priscilla, Elise, and Ninian…except for Clarine, who she doesn’t get along with (I’ll get to that in the personal thoughts). She utterly loathes the likes of Narcian and Valter, and also doesn’t think too fondly of Arvis, as she learned exactly what would happen at Belhalla.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Lachesis joined around the early days of the Order, back when there were only about 100 or so members; she’s one of the veterans. We picked her up alongside Eldigan, before Veronica made her move against Askr’s capital. This version of her is from after Sigurd’s escape to Silesse, but before the events of Belhalla.

Before I get into the whole fiasco with her brother, let it be known that I respect Lachesis; she’s a good friend and one I can trust to get the job done. There have been times where I’d have been dead if it weren’t for her. And I can understand, to _some_ degree, why she holds him to such a high standard.

That being said, like I’ve mentioned previously, her love for her brother is rather problematic; just the way she talks about him sometimes can be a bit…questionable, to say the least. She makes him out to be such a great person when he really isn’t, and the way she whispers ‘Eldie’ can be worrying. As much as I don’t want to assume incestuous feelings, her admiration borders on that.

This admiration for Eldigan eventually made her come to blows with Clarine. I only know about most of it from second-hand sources, but apparently, what happened was Lachesis made a sort of comment about how Klein didn’t compare to Eldigan, and Clarine (being _another_ blonde that greatly admired her brother) attempted to retort that Klein was _so_ much better than him. The barbs between the two soon evolved into a full-blown argument, with Clarine shouting something along the lines of “at least my brother was not foolish enough to willingly follow a noble that would bring him to his death!”

Lachesis’ response was rather mature; she attempted to throttle the girl, only stopped because Sigurd was around to hold her back. After that, the two haven’t interacted all that much, tension so thick you cut through it with a knife.

I understand why Clarine said that, even if it was uncalled for; she paints this man as something larger than life, when he is just prone to mistakes as the rest of us. I wish she wouldn’t hold him to such high standards, when he can’t even reach those standards himself. And the way she pines for him romantically…it’s just not right.


	10. Berkut

Hero Entry V036: Berkut, Prideful Prince

**OVERVIEW**

A general in the Rigelian army, nephew to Emperor Rudolf, and - by extension - cousin to Alm, though both are unaware of that relation. His father died when he was at young age, leaving him solely under the care of his mother. She was incredibly strict, training him to be a man worthy of becoming the next emperor of Rigel (It was believed Rudolf had no heirs, as Alm was smuggled into Zofia due to his brand). With his mother’s teachings, Berkut soon rose through the ranks of the Rigel military, and became one of its greatest warriors and soon generals (though she’d never get to see his ascension, as she also died before he reached adulthood). He would then join in the Zofian/Rigelian war against Alm, and would eventually die within the basement of Duma Tower, learning the truth of Alm’s heritage and succumbing to Duma’s power and madness.

Interestingly, though this version of Berkut seems to be one from after his death at the hands of Alm due to some of his powers, his personality mirrors that of how he acted around the beginning of the Zofian/Rigelian War.

Berkut takes great pride in his social status as a high ranking noble, as he was taught the standard Rigelian doctrine of power being almost everything. He is ambitious and independent, not taking kindly to those who rely on others for power, such as the Duma Faithful, giving more respect to those who train themselves to be better rather than being gifted power. That said, he can be ~~a bit of an ass~~ problematic to work with on occasion, since that same pride in his strength and station creates friction with not only those of more common origin, but even those that are more compassionate like Sharena. That doesn’t mean he rejects such feelings though, as he does show his more vulnerable side to his fiancée Rinea.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Coming from a nation that prioritizes individual strength and power, it comes to no surprise that Berkut is a rather skilled fighter. His skill with a lance is almost unmatched, having trained with it for most of his life, and he is also fairly skilled in the use of swords, axes, and bows as well. However, since his family line had little-to-no talent in the standard magical arts, he lacks the ability to utilize combat magic, healing magic, and hexes. He also has no skill in the use of daggers as throwing weapons, only knowing how to use one for close quarters. Finally, Berkut has a great understanding in horse riding, and it is his preferred method of transportation across the battlefield.

One of Berkut’s greater strengths is his physical defenses; the quality of his armor plus his own impressive constitution means he can take a lot of punishment from physical fighters. It helps that he is also pretty strong himself, able to dish out damage as well as take it. Though his resistance is rather average, it gets patched up by the equipment he carries into battle. Honestly, the only field he really lacks in is speed; he’s trained himself to be a wall against foes, outlasting them in combat and whittling them down bit by bit. Because of this, it isn’t hard for enemies to outmaneuver and ouspeed him, even with his advantage of a mount.

His experience as a general makes him a good choice as a squadron commander; Berkut has a healthy amount of knowledge on military tactics and knows how to lead soldiers in order to achieve quick and decisive victories. He is especially well-trained in leading other cavalry units, with his most favored tactics being ones that emphasize their defensive capabilities.

As mentioned previously, in order to accommodate for his rather mediocre resistance levels, Berkut utilizes special equipment designed and enchanted specifically for that purpose. The first two pieces of equipment are a pair of rings, a coral ring (an uncommon piece of jewelry in Valentia that passively boosts the wearer’s resistance) and a keepsake from his mother (which _also_ passively boosts resistance, but also seems to enhance the wearer’s focus). These boosts stay active so long as he does not take too much damage, otherwise the rings’ power will fizzle out for unknown reasons.

His third piece of equipment is a unique lance that was created by and passed down to him by his mother; it has the natural ability of enveloping the wearer in a small magical barrier that can protect against both the breath of a dragon and standard magical attacks. However, there are two notable problems with this weapon: firstly, the barrier only seems to activate when he’s bracing for the enemy’s assault, meaning Berkut will not be given protection if he is the first to initiate combat. Secondly, it is not tapping into its full power; most mages I’ve talked to have noted that the weapon’s enchantment is improperly imprinted on the weapon, meaning its barrier is not protecting him to the best of its ability ~~you’d think she’d hire an actual mage to properly enchant her weapon, but I guess she was stingy…or Rigel mages really suck~~. Thankfully, that second imperfection can be rectified through the Rite of Blades.

There is one last ability to mention, and one that ties in to why I believe him to be from after his death by Alm: He has shown to have the power to create pillars of flames that can strike multiple enemies at once, though the flames do not last long enough to kill foes. Berkut assumes that the power comes from his lance, but the manaketes and magically-inclined members of Order have noted that said flames seem to be of draconic origin.

And the only individual who granted him such power was Duma.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Berkut’s position as both a prince and a general of Rigel gives him a commanding presence that makes him a good candidate to be a squad leader. However, his picky taste in colleagues and his occasionally rude behavior can limit who best to pair him with.

He best pairs with other cavalry units, as they benefit the most from his tactics and combat style. Similarly, Heroes like Reinhardt and Camus can give him pointers on how to fight more offensively with his mount. Since his main flaw is speed, faster units like Lyn can cover for him while he can shield them with his more impressive bulk. Healers like Priscilla are also good options to consider, as they can make sure his rings won’t stop working. However, while he may have decent resistance due to said equipment, it’s still wise to consider a soldier who can more easily tank magical blows; equipment can fail, after all.

Berkut’s best compatibility is with those with similar standing to him; he works well enough with the likes of Ryoma and Xander due to their positions, and can even tolerate Corrin and Seliph’s “foolish naivety” - as he says - to an extent. He also seems to have a soft spot for both Julia and Deirdre, being less gruff around them than with others. He shows a great deal of respect to the likes of Hardin and Arvis, no doubt due to their positions as emperors. As you can see, he gets along well enough with most nobles, barring those from Zofia, like Clive and Clair. When it comes to more common folk, however, he is not as friendly, believing them to be merely ants to be crushed under his heel or outright ignored; no example is greater than how he treats Alm, viewing him as a simple farm boy that “hasn’t learned his place yet” ~~which is above you, you arrogant brat.~~ He also isn’t fond of most of the Order’s dark mages, no doubt reminded of the Duma Faithful. His bravado also disappears when in the presence of Duma, no doubt because of both his power and his position as Rigel’s patron deity.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

The Order found Berkut during our hunt for Bruno, in the world of Valentia. Though he ambushed us with his forces in one of the forests of Zofia, we were able to push back, defeat, and interrogate him for information on Bruno’s whereabouts. After that, he was conscripted into the Order and fought with us ever since.

He and I don’t along all that well; while he may respect my tactical prowess and I his battle prowess, our general personalities just don’t mesh all that well. I don’t think we’ll ever get along, in all honesty, since he puts much emphasis on a person’s social status while I am more concerned with an individual’s character instead.  That being said, we don’t exactly hate each other either; heck, he once offered me a position as one of Rigel’s commanders, and wasn’t at all surprised when I declined. He may not like me, but he at the very least seems to respect my willpower and strength.

Maybe he’ll mellow out once I’m able to summon Rinea…

I believe it’s best if Alm’s true origins are kept under wraps around him, as his memories of Alm’s background as Rudolf’s heir seem to be locked away, and they do not need to come to fruition during this campaign; it’d simply create unnecessary pandemonium and tension in the Order. He also shouldn’t be told the origin of his fire abilities either, for similar reasons.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hero Entry V036a: Berkut, Purgatorial Prince

**OVERVIEW**

A version of Berkut that comes from after he sacrificed Rinea to Duma, but before he was killed by Alm. By sacrificing his love, he gained immense power at the cost of his sanity ~~or what little he had left after the reveal of Alm’s heritage.~~

Berkut’s regular personality has been warped and twisted by Duma’s power; now a broken shell of a man, he is only concerned with gaining power and destroying almost everything around him. The once proud prince is nothing more than a wild beast. That said, he does have what seems to be moments of lucidness, calling out to Rinea on occasion.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

While Berkut’s knowledge and skill on weapons remains unchanged (save for fighting more ruthlessly), the pact with Duma has granted him other powers, such as access to the variant of the _Vengeance_ technique called _Reprisal_ , utilizing the adrenaline in his body to enhance his striking power. Duma’s powers also grant him a sort of familiar in the form of his fiancée Rinea, a fire spirit who can utilize flames not only for offensive purposes, but also defensively. For one, she can coat Berkut’s armor in magical fire that more effectively protects against combat magic and the breath of dragons, and also creates smoke heavy enough to ruin an opponent’s concentration. She can also spread that fire to nearby allies to similarly give a boost to their resistance, though she cannot maintain the boost constantly and must take breathers.

Duma’s power has also enhanced Berkut’s natural abilities in some areas; in comparison to his counterpart, this Berkut has greater defense and resistance and is also physically stronger. However, his constitution is slightly weaker, and he is one of the slowest fighters in the Order, slow enough that his normal counterpart can easily overwhelm him if given the chance. In all honesty, he feels more like an armored unit than a cavalry unit.

This Berkut has replaced his personal lance with Kriemhild, a mysterious weapon also bestowed upon him by Duma. Aside from being nearly equal in power to other legendary weapons, it can also strike ranged opponents and halt them from attempting any sort of follow-up attack through its dark power. However, such power can only be used by stealing an astounding amount of life force from nearby allies; allies will be put in danger if he’s allowed to run rampant and unchecked.

Kreimhild has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Berkut’s more wild personality makes it difficult for him to work with most teams, save for a few specific instances.

Because of his high defenses and low speed, pairing him with faster allies would be for the best, as they can deal with quick foes while he can protect them with his better defenses. Having a healer would also be wise, if only heal up any allies that are forced to pay Kreimhild’s price.

Berkut really doesn’t work well with anyone; his violent temperament makes him hard to approach, and he is known to lash out at others on occasion. He especially loathes Alm, and usually needs to be detained if he catches sight of him (it’s best if both are kept as far away from each other as possible). The only Heroes Berkut seems willing to work with are the possessed Celica (possibly due to sharing the same power), the possessed Delthea (see Celica), Valter (similar dispositions), and Duma himself (his patron deity and source of his power). Everyone else, he doesn’t care about. 

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

I guess this is what I get for trying to avoid telling the normal Berkut what is fated to happen to him; now, I have the crazy Berkut kept under close watch, the Alms in the medical wing due to injuries, and the regular Berkut locked in his room, no doubt horrified by what he has become.

Damn it all, this is a mess. The only silver lining I can see is that maybe I can try fixing Berkut and Alm’s relationship for the better; now that he sees what his pursuit of power will lead to, perhaps I can get Berkut to take a different path to glory.


	11. Surtr

Hero Entry Z009: Surtr, Ruler of Flame

**OVERVIEW**

The king of Múspell, and father to both Laevatein and Laegjarn ~~only in the biological sense and nothing else~~. A man who sacrificed his soul to his nation’s patron deity, he became a monster that led his country to war against Nifl. Empowered by Múspell’s flames, he was an unstoppable force that almost turned the entire kingdom to ash, only defeated once the Order of Heroes joined the war. He met his end at the temple where the Rite of Flame was enacted, ~~gutted like the pig he was~~ killed by Fjorm.

One word best describes the entirety of ~~this bastard’s~~ Surtr’s character; sadistic. He is a violent man that crushes everything in his path and would torture someone just for personal pleasure. He has no sense of morality or love, only putting stock in strength above all else, like a more twisted form of Duma’s beliefs. He puts no faith and trust in others and would betray them if he found them useless or irritating. All he cares about is destruction. ~~Unfortunately, he’s not dumb enough to give me an excuse to blow his head off.~~

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Surtr is one of the most powerful fighters amongst the Order, incredibly well-trained in the art of warfare. He has impressive skill when it comes to using axes, and also has some skill with both lances and swords. He lacks any notable experience with bows and daggers ~~because he’s too big of an oaf to have _any_ finesse~~ and has no talent for the standard magical arts whatsoever ~~thank the gods~~. However, that lack of magical skill ~~unfortunately~~ is made up for by the powers gifted to him by Múspell, as he can strengthen his strikes with the flames he creates, similar to the _Bonfire_ technique.

Surtr is like an immovable wall in terms of battle style; the blessings given to him by his patron deity plus the quality of his armor grants him impressive defenses on both sides of the spectrum, and he’s pretty hardy naturally too. He also has some monstrous strength behind his strikes. His only drawback is that he’s rather slow ~~both physically and mentally~~ due to the heavy armor he wears, though that is not as much of an issue due to his abilities.

The blessings given to him by the fire dragon grant him a formidable control over fire ~~no duh~~. I’ve already mentioned his enhanced strikes, but he can also use it to enhances his natural body; anyone that is too close to him when he releases a wave of heat risks having their strength sapped and bolstering Surtr’s own power, making him that much harder to take down. On top of that, the flames he manipulates also make it difficult for foes to strike him multiple times, as they risk third degree burns fighting him for too long. Combine that with the fact that those flames _also_ increase his defenses _and_ make it harder for foes to use special techniques against him (on the account of the smoke he produces possibly suffocating them), and you have a man that needs to be taken down in either one shot, with weapons specifically designed to cut through armor, or slowly killed through poisons. Anything less will prove inefficient ~~unfortunately~~.

Surtr’s weapon of choice is Sinmara, a legendary axe from Múspell given to the nation’s ruler as a rite of passage. It’s a giant fire axe ~~that represents how he compensates for his manhood~~ that synergizes quite well with his ability to sap the strength of others; with a single swing, he can create a wave of fire which causes massive damage against anyone caught in it. While the flames are never strong enough to outright kill an individual, the burns can easily knock someone down to critical levels and make them easy pickings for him to kill off ~~because he knows that he couldn’t win otherwise.~~

Sinmara has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

Since he held a position of power as king of Múspell, he has some experience as a leader ~~though why you would want to have him as one is something I would never understand.~~

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Surtr is a powerful ally when it comes to battle, but his personality and actions have won him no allies of his own.

Since his strengths can often make up for his weaknesses, he really doesn’t need any partners and can be left to his own devices, save maybe a healer to keep him going. Other armors can help him out by giving him advice on how to better endure attacks and more effectively strike back, but it’s not exactly necessary.

Fittingly, Surtr doesn’t work well with anyone on a personal level either; almost every member of the Order of Heroes hates working with him, and only go along with him under my orders. The royals of Nifl were incredibly adamant in his death/removal from the Order, only deferring to me once I convinced them about my control over him and the logic that he’s better in our hands than in the enemy’s (even then, they still take time out of their schedule to threaten him with death should he act in any way out of line). Not even his own daughters and generals want anything to do with him. The only Heroes that seem to work well with Surtr ~~I’m using the word ‘well’ _very_ loosely ~~are the likes of Valter, Julius, Garon, and the Grimas, and even then, there is still some animosity between them. There’s also Loki, but even her interactions come off as more condescending than respectful.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

I hate this ~~man~~ **freak.**

He’s a disgusting, putrid, pile of flesh that does not deserve to see the light of day for what he has done to Nifl and its people, only drawing breath because he’s useful to the Order’s combat efforts.

I have nothing more to say.


	12. Lyon

Hero Entry M043: Lyon, Shadow Prince

**OVERVIEW**

Prince of Grado, son of the late Emperor Vigarde ~~(wouldn’t that mean _he’s_ Emperor now?)~~. A friend of both Ephraim and Eirika, he met the two during a diplomatic meeting between Fado and Vigarde, and quickly befriended them despite his shy and reserved personality; the three formed a deep bond that, tragically, would be shattered when war broke out between Grado and Renais. Lyon is a practitioner of dark magic, but utilized his knowledge to assist his people in whatever ways he could, be it healing those with grievous wounds or protecting people of incoming storms. One day, he received a vision of a great disaster that would befall his nation, murdering thousands. This vision, combined with his father soon becoming deathly ill, proved too much pressure for the boy, causing him to take the dangerous course of action of unsealing the Demon King Fomortiis from Grado’s Sacred Stone and attempting to use the beast’s power to his advantage. Unfortunately, much like how Julius would be possessed by Loptous, he fell victim to the Demon King’s power due to his jealousy and pining for the Renais twins, becoming a puppet for his schemes, yet assuming that he was the one in control. He ordered the Grado army into attacking the other nations, raised an army of undead and monsters to wreak havoc along the countryside, and tried to destroy each and every Sacred Stone so that none could defeat him/the Demon King. Unfortunately for him, Eirika and Ephraim did put a stop to his plan, sealing away Fomortiis, but also killing their best friend.

This version of Lyon comes from after the Demon King’s defeat, though it seems as if the monster was not properly sealed away…

Lyon is a gentle and kind soul; a boy who cares greatly for those he considers friends and wants to do the best he can for his people. Though he dabbles in an art that many consider evil, he uses his gifts instead as a benefit for those around him. On top of that, he is incredibly intelligent, especially when it comes to the application and understanding of magical theory. However, he has poor self-esteem, believing himself to be unworthy of the crown and of life, and will go to any lengths to save others, even if such actions put him in danger. He also harbors darker feelings, such as envy for Ephraim’s battle prowess and a pining for Eirika, and while he would never act on those feelings himself, it is still a concern of how such emotions will dictate his actions or how they can be manipulated by other parties.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Lyon’s main talent is his knack for magic; much like Lute and Julius, he has an exceptional understanding of magical theory, knowing how to utilize many forms of dark magic, anima magic, healing magic, the rare summoning magic, and even some minor hexes. The only magic he cannot seem use is light, but that seems to be more so a mental barrier rather than due to a lack of skill. Also, like most mages, he lacks the aptitude for physical weapons, meaning you won’t be seeing him wield a lance, sword, axe, bow, or dagger (though notably, he has at least some idea of the proper stance when it comes to using lances and swords, no doubt because of Eirika and Ephraim). He also has some skill in necromancy, though he hardly ever uses those skills, considering their origin.

Surprisingly, despite his insistence that he is frail, Lyon is rather bulky compared to your standard mage; both his resistance and defense are both slightly above average, and he has a constitution equal to the likes of some of the Order’s frontline fighters. The only major physical weakness he has is a lack of mobility; he’s not all that fast and his reaction time could definitely be better. To make up for that, he does have pretty powerful magic at his disposal, but that can only do so much for him.

As mentioned above, Lyon packs some impressive spells in his arsenal, fittingly using more support-based spells and hexes rather than offensive ones. His first most-commonly used spell is a simple fortification hex that enhances the user’s magical talent, strengthening both their innate resistance and the power of their spells. He can also utilize a barrier similar to Lachesis, increasing the resistance of nearby allies to better survive magical blows from standard magic and dragon breath (it should be noted though, that when compared to Lachesis’ barrier, the prince trades potency for increased range). Thirdly, he can summon a phantom to fight alongside him in battle. However, the phantoms are not all that sturdy; just to quickly compare Lyon’s phantoms to Julius’ Deadlords and Genny’s illusions:

  * The Deadlords are warriors equal or greater in strength to war veterans, but require high quality materials, time, and impressive magical knowledge to be created.
  * The illusions are numerous and have some degree of sturdiness to them, but cannot follow orders (save telling them which individuals are friendly or hostile) and require the lifeforce of the caster to be created.
  * The phantom requires little time and effort to make, can follow precise orders, but doesn’t take all that much effort to destroy and can only be created one at a time.



Still, they are incredibly helpful in a pinch or as a distraction. Outside of those spells, he can also (albeit _very_ briefly) see into the future through the phenomenon called a ‘time shear.’ Though he cannot pinpoint the exact time of the events shown through the shear, he is made aware of its consequences.

Finally, there is Lyon’s tome, Naglfar. Unlike the other legendary weapons of Magvel, it was not utilized by the Five Heroes in the defeat of Fomortiis. In fact, its exact origins are unknown, though if we were to consider the contents of the tome and the fact that it is nearly as powerful as tomes like Loptous and Naga, it would not be farfetched to assume that it is an amalgamation of the Demon King’s knowledge and power. The tome’s ability is a strange one; it can distort and twist the magical circuits of staves (even of other legendary weapons like Thökk and Hliðskjálf), decreasing their overall power. It also, interestingly, seems to distort the molecular structure of daggers and arrows, dulling their ability to pierce, and can even weaken the dragon breath of the mighty Duma. Combine this with Lyon’s defenses, and the prince can be difficult to put down in certain match-ups.

…There is one last thing to mention; Some Heroes can utilize a technique known as _Vengeance._ This technique utilizes the adrenaline produced by a person’s fight-or-flight response to enhance the power of their strikes, with the effect becoming stronger the closer to death (and by extension, the more adrenaline in the body) the user is. Lyon has something similar in his repertoire of skills…except instead, the Demon King reasserts his control over his vessel and enhances the attacks himself. In fact, the closer to death Lyon is, the more prominent and overpowering Fomortiis becomes, being able to nearly control each and every action the prince could do. Thankfully, the monster’s hold can be removed simply by healing him, so it’s not difficult to repel. Still, the fact that the Demon King _still_ exists within Lyon despite supposedly being sealed away is something to be concerned about.

Naglfar has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Lyon is helpful in battle with his magic both for offense and support, but his shy disposition and lack of confidence makes it difficult for him to lead squadrons.

His poor speed means that any fast-enough ally would be a blessing for him, guarding him from foes that would otherwise tear him to shreds. His barriers can help less resistance-inclined allies better combat mages and dragons, and Naglfar’s own power, combined with his decent defenses, makes him a good deterrent for archers and the like. While he may not make a good squad leader himself, his intellect makes him a great advisor/second-in-command.

Lyon’s gentle and polite nature means he has a good working relationship with many of the other Order members, only finding tension with the likes of more aggressive/assertive Heroes like Zephiel, Hardin, Berkut, and Julius. The only other members that he finds tension with are those from Magvel, and that is more because of the weariness and concern they have for the Demon King’s return (though Eirika and Ephraim were quick to defend him, and Amelia, a Grado native, places trust in him as well). Speaking of the Renais twins, it comes to no surprise that he has the best synergy with the two of them ~~it’s like they can read each other’s minds or something~~. Valter and Amelia are more susceptible to his orders, considering his position as prince of Grado, though Valter ~~can~~ will be a handful for him, as he doesn’t think all that highly of the timid prince (unless Fomortiis is in control, in which case, Valter follows him like a well-trained dog). Outside of the Magvel group, he’s become one of Nino’s teachers, and has even assisted Katarina in getting a better control of her dark magic capabilities, so he has some close connections with them.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

We found Lyon on our way to the gateway to Nifl, in a stray portal. This portal led us to the main hall of the Black Temple, where he (with Fomortiis possessing him) summoned a legion of undead to fight us. It took us a while, but we eventually subdued him and released the Demon King’s hold on his mind, though the process did seem to seal away or erase some of his memories, specifically those of his actions during Grado’s war.

Lyon is a tragic boy; a prince who doubted his own abilities and strengths, but still wanted to do the best for his people. Combine these two characteristics together, and you have someone who would take reckless actions to save others…and would cause pain instead.

I know Lyon is capable of great things, but he is held back by his self-deprecating thoughts and envy of his peers’ abilities. He spends too much time comparing himself to others, ignorant of his accomplishments and what they truly mean. I mean, he was able to save the life of a girl when even the greatest of healing magics couldn’t do a thing.

Lyon has the potential to surpass his father as a great emperor, he just needs the push in the right direction…

…Actually, Anna was considering holding a mini-tournament for some of the Order members. Maybe I’ll throw his name into the contestant’s bracket and show the world how great he really is.

There’s also the fact that Fomortiis seems to still be around. Hopefully, Azura and the herons’ songs can keep the beast dormant; granted, it might not work since they all come from different realms and the purposes of each song are different, but it’s worth a shot at least.


	13. Olwen

Hero Entry J058: Olwen, Blue Mage Knight 

**OVERVIEW**

A knight of Friege and younger sister of Reinhardt. She was part of the military force in control of the Manster District of the Thracian peninsula, under the command of ~~the cowardly~~ Kempf. As Kempf hated Reinhardt (and by extension, her as well), the two did not get along, which eventually led to her being imprisoned for ‘insubordination.’ This petty action, however, exposed her to the horrors of the child hunts that were perpetuated by the Grannvale Empire, which in turn led her to joining Leif’s liberation army, assisting him in his quest to free Leonstar from Friege’s occupation and the Empire’s control.

In many ways, Olwen is essentially Reinhardt’s opposite; she is much more emotional, empathetic, energetic when interacting with others. She’s also much more headstrong, usually rushing into situations without hesitation or without thinking of the consequences; this has gotten her in trouble (see her getting imprisoned by Kempf) but has also let her grow into an individual that is able to think for herself due to the experiences she faced. These differences, however, do not stop her from admiring her brother’s more levelheaded nature, though she has problems with his ‘pitifulness,’ as she calls it. She also has a soft spot for children, and especially does her best to guard them from any sort of trauma or danger. 

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Olwen’s training in Friege’s military has given her slightly varied set of skills. For one, she has an impressive understanding of the anima side of combat magic, wielding fire, wind, and thunder efficiently, with her preference being thunder magic. And, unlike most mages, she isn’t helpless when facing against foes with high resistance, as she has a fair bit of training when it comes to using swords as well. She also has a basic understanding of lances and axes - as that was part of the training regimen for the knights - though she does not use them. Outside of that, she lacks training in bows and daggers, has some affinity for light magic and support/healing magic, and no affinity for dark magic. She also has good skill when it comes to riding a horse.

Olwen’s main strengths in combat are her speed and resistance; her training on horseback gives her great deal of maneuverability that allows her to enact either guerilla tactics like hit-and-runs, or by overwhelming foes with multiple strikes from multiple angles. Her high resistance allows her to challenge most magical foes, especially if she gets the drop on them, as she conjures up a warding barrier to better absorb enemy magic attacks. Unfortunately, she lacks in most other areas; while her constitution isn’t bad per se, she lacks the defenses to take many physical hits. Also, her magical strength is kind of subpar, though that seems to be more so because of her tome of choice rather than a lack of talent. I’d say she works better as a sort of offensive support, as her horse allows her to move and reposition allies to different areas of the battlefield, and her experience leading small reconnaissance squadrons throughout Manster gives her a commanding presence, one that soldiers say “soothes their nerves” (consequently, those same soldiers seem to better survive magical blows when near her).

Her weapon of choice is the Dire Thunder tome, a weapon unique to the Friege siblings. Though no legendary weapon, it still has devastating power, raining consecutive bolts of lightning on any target, giving them no time to respond before they are torn to shreds. Unfortunately, in Olwen’s hands, it is rather mediocre; for one, the concentration required to activate such a spell is draining, meaning that one of her greater advantages - her speed - gets handicapped when she uses it. Secondly, she lacks experience wielding it, unable to bring out the full might of the weapon. Were she to have the same number of years Reinhardt had to practice with it, she could no doubt lay waste to foes just like he can.

Dire Thunder has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Olwen makes for a good supporting member of any squad with both her skills as a mage and experiences as a leader, but she lacks the power to be a consistent frontline fighter.

Her decent speed and mobility allow her work as a good distraction, keeping enemy attention diverted/unfocused to allow her allies to deal some real damage. Her lack of defense can be patched up by pairing his with more armored individuals like Arden or Effie, which further synergizes with her skills at repositioning targets into more favorable positions and her impressive resistance. However, unless you pair Olwen up with individuals that can either strengthen her own magical power (Ishtar, Nino, Lene, etc.) or weaken enemies through hexes and the like (Arvis, Saias, Gunnthrá, etc.), it’s best that she is not a major frontline combatant.

Having worked with Leif back in Thracia, it comes as no surprise that Olwen works well with him, Nanna, and Finn. Also, despite her grievances with the child hunts and Friege/the Empire’s hand in them, she has a polite enough relationship with Ishtar, Saias, and Reinhardt (however, she _does_ have an aversion to Julius). She also works well with the other Heroes from Judgral, more so the younger generation. Outside of that group, Olwen’s earnest disposition has won her a good number of companions that she can turn to; I’ve seen interact a fair bit with the likes of Linde and Merric, and her fondness for children has won her friends in the form of Nino, Fae, and the Kanas, just to name a few. She does not think fondly of the likes of Hardin or Zephiel, seeing too much of the Empire in their actions, and she has threatened Valter with death multiple times for his ~~disgusting~~ unsavory behavior.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Much like Lachesis and Eldigan, Olwen is one of the veterans of the Order, having joined us before Veronica made her move against Askr’s capital, back when we were only a group of 100 or so.

She can be a bit too headstrong and she may lose her temper a bit too easily, but that has not ruined my trust in her. Though she may not have the same tactical knowledge as her brother, her more approachable behavior makes her a good person to talk to and someone to vent at when stressed. I greatly appreciate her presence.

Her relationship with Reinhardt is still a little strained in some areas; while she admires his levelheadedness and skill, the fact that he did nothing to battle against the child hunts is something she cannot abide by. As such, it’s not surprising that they occasionally have heated arguments. As long as they do not spend too much time together, it shouldn’t be a problem.

 

* * *

 

Hero Entry J058a: Olwen, Righteous Knight

**OVERVIEW**

An alternate version of Olwen coming from not only after Manster’s liberation, but also the defeat of Julius and the Empire.

She has become more mature and levelheaded, both because of the years she has over her counterpart, and the fact that her version of Reinhardt was captured rather than killed, which gave her an opportunity to talk with him and settle their differences.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Being older and more experienced, many of Olwen’s skills have naturally improved; she’s become an expert of anima magic and has added wind magic into her repertoire of mastered spells. In fact, one of her favored spells is a wide-range wind spell that can devastate multiple targets at once. She also knows enough about healing magic now to learn and master the _Renewal_ technique, allowing her to rely on self-healing. She still lacks an affinity for dark magic, though she has learned a handful of light magic spells. She’s also gotten much better with a sword; however, she has not expanded on her axe and lance skills, nor has she learned how to use daggers or bows.

Whereas younger Olwen seemed to play a bigger support role than combat role, this version does the opposite; her magical power has strengthened over the years and she has become faster as well, especially without Dire Thunder weighing her down. She also has become more skilled with hit-and-run tactics, striking foes fast and hard and giving them little time to retaliate. However, she has sacrificed her defenses a bit, meaning she isn’t as great at surviving would she be caught unaware.

Olwen has replaced her Dire Thunder tome with a unique tome she calls Thunderhead ~~even though its foundation is built from a _wind_ spell and not a _thunder_ spell. ~~Similar to Zenith’s Blade tomes, the power of the spell is increased when she is invigorated and strengthened by her allies or their weapons, such as Býleistr or Siegmund, once again emphasizing this version’s more combat-related role. It has also shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

Though this isn’t a combat skill per se, Olwen has spent a good year or so actually working as an instructor on anima magic at one of Judgral’s academies, and knows a fair bit on wind magic, enough to even teach fellow wind expert Merric some new things.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Olwen’s greater experience as leader means she makes for an effective commander, especially for teams that favor hit-and-run/guerilla tactics.

Once again, defensive-based allies go well with her, as do resistance-based ones now that her defenses are weaker. With her newfound strength and speed, she also no longer as to play the role of support and can take to the frontlines more easily.

Personality-wise, Olwen stills works good with a number of people, but sees a marked improvement in her interactions with Ishtar, Reinhardt, and Saias. Few changes would need to be made.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

We encountered this version of Olwen during our journey through Nifl, and she immediately joined us once we broke her contract with Múspell, wanting to get revenge on Surtr.

It’s interesting seeing a more levelheaded Olwen; her temper is still present, but more controlled, and she provides a good deal of perspective with those extra years under her belt. Interesting, but not unwelcomed.

She also spends a great deal of time thinking about the future, and once mused how she desired to have a child of her own one day.

…And I will admit to finding joy in teasing her about how she has _a lot_ of men to choose from in the Order as possible husbands.


	14. Minerva

Hero Entry A036: Minerva, Red Dragoon

**OVERVIEW**

Princess (and later Queen) of Macedon, younger sister to Michalis, older sister to Maria, and commander of the famous Whitewings squadron. Once a proud warrior of her homeland, Michalis’ actions during the War of Shadows left her angered with what he had done, causing her to eventually leave the Macedonian army and join Marth in the war against Dolhr and its allies alongside her Whitewings. After defeating Michalis in single combat and stopping Medeus’ conquest alongside the Altean Prince, Minerva was crowned Queen of Macedon, where she would attempt to rebuild and reform the military nation into a more peaceful land. It would not last, however, as a military coup led by Rucke and other disgruntled soldiers that were exiled would see her be gravely injured and imprisoned, only saved by her brother during the War of Heroes, where she would once more fight alongside Marth. After that, she would renounce her claim to the throne and join a convent.

Personality-wise, Minerva is a rather blunt and direct individual, not afraid to speak her mind when she has to. As expected of her stations as both a member of royalty and as a commander, she carries a refined and composed aura with great pride in her skill and martial prowess. Though she is stern and can be quite intimidating on occasion, she is truly a kind individual, and is especially caring towards those she is close to, such as Maria and the Whitewings. However, having been under Michalis’ shadow for most of her life, she not only has a great admiration of her brother as a leader and warrior (even despite his actions), but also has some issues regarding her self-confidence and can be quite hard on herself, which is especially noticeable when she discusses her qualifications (or lack thereof, in her opinion) regarding her position as Macedon’s leader.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Having been born in a nation known for its military prowess, it comes to no surprise that Minerva is skilled in multiple weapon types. Though she greatly favors axes during battle, she also well-versed in the use of both lances and swords as well. She’s also quite effective at using a bow, though that _is_ her weakest weapon type. In fact, the only weapon she does not have a grasp on is throwing daggers, only really understanding how to use one for close quarters. However, physical weapons are _all_ that she is skilled with; despite Maria’s abilities showing that her bloodline has some affinity for magic, Minerva cannot cast any type of spell, be it light, dark, healing, or anima, and has no talent regarding the mystic arts whatsoever. Outside of that, she also has a great deal of experience riding both pegasi and wyverns, having ridden the former in her early years of the military before switching to the latter later on.

Minerva’s favored style of combat is one of speed and power; she is quick to rush into battle and strike the opponent fast and hard. The thing is, while this style was fitting when she rode her agile pegasus, it is not as fitting for the stocky wyvern she now has; they are, after all, known for impressive physical defense and strength at the cost of maneuverability. To make up for this, Minerva specifically trained her mount in mobility to easily fight alongside the Whitewings and their pegasi, and even ordered a custom-set of armor that would not weigh it down. While she does have one of the fastest wyverns in the Order, she also has one of the most fragile because of this. This lack of defense is slightly mitigated by her wyvern’s decent constitution and natural armor, but that does not help as much against the likes of arrows or magical attacks.

To help with that weakness in defenses, Minerva carries on her person an enchanted cowl that is specifically designed to protect against projectiles of both the physical and magical variety. However, while it can consistently protect her from dangerous blows, it lacks the same level of protection that an Aegis shield provides. This means that while she may survive a fatal blow, she will most likely be left crippled and heavily damaged.

Because of her status and position as the commander of the Whitewings, one of Minerva’s greater skills is her knowledge and experience leading small squadrons. In fact, she’s incredibly well-versed on proper aerial formations, with her most favored one being a formation that capitalizes on a mount’s defenses to last longer during a fight.

~~I wished she’d make up her mind on whether she wants to be fast and deadly or hard to put down.~~

Hauteclere is Minerva’s weapon of choice and is the legendary weapon of Macedon said to be equal in power to the Regalia of Archanea. An interesting detail not often discussed is that the weapon is actually enchanted with the element of lightning, much like Elibe’s Armads; Individuals who can master the weapon have the ability to call down bolts of lightning upon their enemies (something which Minerva unfortunately has not done, but Michalis has). This enchantment can also not only invigorate users in such a way that techniques such as _Sol_ and _Bonfire_ are much easier to pull off, but in the case of Minerva, it actually enhances the magic enchantments of her cowl, augmenting its ability to protect her. A simple modification, but effective nonetheless.

Though Hauteclere can be strengthened by the Rite of Blades, its main refinement is wasted on her. To note, the refined Hauteclere further utilizes the lightning enchantment to enhance the power of a user’s attacks, especially in regard to the previously mentioned techniques like _Sol_ or _Bonfire_. As this refinement is oriented for offense, and Minerva lacks knowledge on skills that can take advantage of that boost, she cannot capitalize on that extra power unless she were taught such a skill.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

As an experienced commander with impressive battle prowess, Minerva makes for an excellent squadron leader, especially when it comes to aerial teams.

As her biggest weaknesses are a lack of defense and resistance, pairing her up with more bulky allies is paramount, especially if those allies are also cavalry/flier forces that can keep up with her mobility. A healer could also be a possible choice, but then there is the concern of having them able to keep up with her. Also, as she is the most comfortable fighting alongside other fliers, specifically building an all/mostly-aerial team for her would be a great boon.

With Minerva being a veteran of both the War of Shadows and War of Heroes, it should come to no surprise that she works well with almost everyone from Archanea, only having tension with the likes of Gharnef and the possessed Hardin. In fact, she works the best alongside the Whitewings, Maria, and even Michalis. Outside of that group, her level-headed composure and love for family and country has won her allies in the form of both the Nohrian and Hoshidan royalty, and many others respect her for her no-nonsense attitude. She’s especially close to the likes of Sakura, no doubt seeing a lot of Maria in her. She also works well with the likes of the Ylissean Heroes, especially Cherche ~~which considering the fact that she named her wyvern after the Princess, is not all that surprising.~~

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Minerva and her Whitewings were one of the first groups under Emblian control we encountered. After breaking her free of her contract, she later assisted us on our second trip to Archanea and was even later summoned as part of our entourage.

Minerva is one Hero I greatly respect not only for her prowess on that battlefield, but also because of her composed yet kind disposition. She has been a major boon for the Order and has won us a great number of battles in both the war with Embla and the war with Múspell. I do think that she could be less hard on herself however; yes, while she did handle the situation with Macedon post-War of Shadows rather poorly, the deck was really stacked against her in that case: Macedon is a nation of military conduct and battle, and Michalis fueled its generals’ more aggressive tendencies through his conquests. Include the fact that Macedon _lost_ the War of Shadows against Marth’s smaller force, and you have a nation with heavily wounded pride that would resist _any_ form of peaceful reformation until vengeance was had.

Granted, this is all coming from an outsider of the Archanean conflicts, so my observations no doubt mean nothing/are entirely false, but perhaps if Michalis and Minerva ruled together, Macedon could have reached a golden age of prosperity and peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the hiatus; college was keeping me occupied.
> 
> Also, Veronica's entry has been updated to include her Spring alt.


	15. Laegjarn

Hero Entry Z011: Laegjarn, Sheathed Steel

**OVERVIEW**

Princess and general of Múspell, daughter of ~~that bastard~~ Surtr, and older sister to Laevatein. Trained at a young age in the art of battle (and being one of the two royal children to survive Múspell’s harshness), she is a powerful soldier, one that assisted in the defeat of Nifl and the one ordered to occupy the kingdom after it was conquered, ruling over its people fairly ~~unlike her disgusting excuse for a father~~. Unfortunately, this honorable warrior would lose her life at the temple where the Rite of Flames was conducted, sacrificing her soul for more power in an attempt to stop the Order.

Laegjarn is very different from her father; unlike him, she is respectful and honorable, treating both friend and foe fairly and seeing no point in bloodthirsty conquest. Also unlike her father, she is incredibly intelligent and crafty, able to keep up with the greatest of tacticians such as Innes and the Robins. Finally, while she may seem cool-headed and aloof, she greatly cares about the soldiers under her command and especially her sister, doing her best to protect her.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Múspell’s training granted Laegjarn a good amount of knowledge regarding physical weapons; though her main preference lies with swords, she knows how to handle both a lance and an axe quite well. She also has a good understanding on how to utilize both bows and daggers. In terms of magical prowess, she is rather lacking, having no affinity for combat nor healing/support magic. However, that is made up for due to the blessings/power given to her by the fire dragon of Múspell, granting her the ability to naturally manipulate the fire. In terms of mounts, Laejarn has extensive knowledge on how to ride and care for wyverns exclusively.

In battle, Laegjarn boasts an excellent constitution, great defense, and impressive speed; not only can she shrug off physical blows rather well, she also has the reflexes and mobility to keep up with faster warriors. Her strength is nothing to scoff at either; while she is not as powerful as the other Múspell generals, she can still dish out good damage, especially if she utilizes her fire manipulation to enhance her strikes in a manner similar to the _Bonfire_ technique. Honestly, her only real weakness is her poor resistance, but even then, her natural constitution means that she could possibly survive a magical blow before having to retreat to safety.

To make up for not being as physically strong as her peers, Laegjarn has extensive knowledge on tactics and strategy to give her an edge in combat. Not only does she know how to lead a variety of soldiers due to her military training and status as a general, she is also a pragmatic fighter, often turning her foe’s advantages or strengths against them. She is also quite wise when it comes to tackling long-ranged fighters, employing squadron formations designed to more easily weather such blows, be they physical or magical. This crafty nature also unintentionally gave her a frightening aura, where even the most bloodthirsty of warriors hold back their strength in fear of succumbing to a feint or trick.

Laegjarn carries Níu, a sacred weapon of Múspell given to her by Surtr ~~and one of only two good things he has given her~~ upon her promotion to general. Unlike a number of legendary weapons, its unique ability is more defensive rather than offensive. To clarify, when battling against foes invigorated/enhanced through forces such as Býleistr’s enchantment, Níu feeds off the energies to enhance its own user, reinforcing their strength, speed, defense, and resistance. Much like how Laegjarn’s tactics uses a foe’s skills against them, her weapon does the same. It also passively boosts its wielder’s reaction time.

Níu has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades. 

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Laegjarn is an excellent candidate for leading squadrons or acting as a second-in-command due to her tactical skills and experience as a military commander.

Since poor resistance is her greatest flaw, having allies with high resistance or other ways to circumvent magic are paramount choices as teammates. Allies who are also physically stronger than her are also good choices, since a good amount of Laegjarn’s power comes from a foe’s enhancements and she can’t always rely on her opponent being buffed up by their allies. She makes a great support for ranged fighters with middling defenses, as her knowledge on formations (mentioned above) can help them more easily survive retaliatory strikes.

Laegjarn is one of the, or possibly even the only, Múspell native with a cordial relationship with the Nifl royals, most likely due to how respectful and honorable she is. She is also the one Laevatein and Helbindi often defer to when it comes to orders/planning, no doubt because of their respect in her skills. Likewise, she is rather protective of the both of them, Laevatein because she’s her sister and Helbindi because she can sympathize with his loss of a sibling. The Nohrian royals respect and empathize with her as well, due to her background as a surviving royal with a ~~shitty father~~ unpleasant childhood. Though some of the more cautious members of the Order still distrust her, they are at least willing to give her a chance. Though she is a professional and can keep her personal opinions buried during combat, she does not enjoy the company of the likes of Michalis, Valter, Hardin, Zephiel, Julius, or similar individuals. She especially hates Garon, seeing too much of her own father in him.    

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Laegjarn is a prime example of a good soldier and person working for someone who is less-so. Back when the Order was in Nifl finding clues to take out Surtr, general consensus among the populace was that she was pretty alright. What few interactions we’ve had solidify that image, as she was honorable enough give us a chance to surrender (even if that meant we’d just get killed by Loki or that pathetic excuse for a king), and trusted that we’d try to save/protect Laevatein. As such, when she was finally summoned, she quickly acclimated to our party and has been effectively working with us ever since.

…My only regret was that I didn’t try to save her back at the temple. I probably could’ve kept her alive with Breidablik and had her form a contract with me, just like I did with Fjorm when we found her covered in second- and third-degree burns. Even if it wouldn’t have worked, I could’ve at least tried. 

But I didn’t, because my utter loathing of Surtr and thoughts of vengeance against him kept me from acting with some form intelligence.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hero Entry Z011a: Laegjarn, New Experiences

**OVERVIEW**

An alternate version of Laegjarn that took part in the New Year Festival alongside the Nifl royals and Laevatein.

She’s not that different personality-wise, save for being a bit more keen to try out new things, hence her title.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

This version of Laegjarn has more experience in lances than she does in swords, though all her other weapon skills remain relatively the same. Interestingly, she has taken up horse-riding, though with little success; she has difficulty controlling her mount and has a habit of jumping over allies and enemies alike rather than attacking.

~~At least she’s not as bad as Chrom.~~

Despite using a mount she has little familiarity with, Laejarn’s fitness levels are similar to her counterpart, if slightly lower; her natural strength and resistance remain relatively unchanged and her speed and defense are only slightly lower (surprising, considering how she is not wearing her standard armor). Her constitution is not as healthy, but she’s still rather fit in that regard. Her tactical knowledge remains unchanged as well, though she does seem to instead favor tactics that capitalize on a soldier’s defense.

This version of Laegjarn uses a “Wagasa” as her weapon of choice. For all intents and purposes, it’s just a simple parasol given out to participants of the New Year Festival. However, Laegjarn uses it rather effectively as a weapon; foes drop their guard when they see it, assuming that she is not carrying a proper weapon on her and don’t take her as seriously as a result. This allows Laegjarn (or even any ally of hers) to catch them by surprise and deal much greater damage to them.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Though very similar to her counterpart, this Laegjarn benefits from working alongside more varied teams.

Her continued lack of resistance means she still should be paired up with high resistance allies, especially now that her constitution is not as strong. Aside from that, she’d work better with varied or cavalry-heavy squadrons since she employs different tactics and rides a horse, respectively.

In terms of working with other Heroes, the only major difference is that this Laegjarn seems much closer to the Nifl royals, working better alongside them.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

She really needs to loosen up a bit more; I know I said she’s more keen to try out new experiences, but she’s still a bit aloof and distant when interacting with people.

Though I guess it makes sense why she’s like that, considering her childhood and such.

Guess I gotta make this a New Years to remember for her.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hero Entry Z011b: Laegjarn, Burning Sun

**OVERVIEW**

An alternate version of Laegjarn that ~~was forced to~~ decided to take a vacation to the beach alongside Gunnthrá, Ylgr, Helbindi, and Laevatein.

Once again, she’s not that different personality-wise, only being a bit more relaxed in comparison.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Surprisingly, this version of Laegjarn is actually skilled in the magic arts, having an affinity for anima magic and especially thunder and light magic. Because of this, however, she’s not as advanced her sword or lance skills due to spending a fair bit of time honing that magical capability. All her other weapon skills remain relatively the same.

As she replaced her armor with a swimsuit, this Laegjarn sacrifice the major defense her original version had for greater speed. To capitalize on this, she takes a more aggressive strategy to combat, hitting targets fast and hard and quickly making her way out of danger. She is also naturally stronger and has greater resistance than her counterpart due to her understanding of magical theory and such, dealing great damage to foes and taking magical hits better, though not as much as one would think. Also, her constitution seems to be much weaker than before, though still at around average.

Her approach to team strategies has also changed; since her mount is no longer weighed down by the extra armor, she utilizes more offense- and mobility-oriented tactics; when she’s not ordering her allies how to hit fast and hard themselves, she’s placing herself in such positions where she can reposition or guide allies across the field with ease. These tactics are especially favored by other flying-based Heroes, who gain the most benefits from them.

This Laegjarn’s weapon of choice is a strange magical item that Alfonse has called the “Worldsea Wave” (explanation in the Personal Thoughts section). Aside from passively enhancing her reaction time, this item can also summon waves of water to assault foes, hitting them with such ferocity that they won’t be able to counterattack until the waves are settled. However, such immediate power leaves the user open to attacks right after, so it is best is she puts down her foe on the first attack.

The “Worldsea Wave” has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

  **TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

With her more aggressive style and commanding presence, this Laegjarn makes for an excellent flier team leader.

Since both her defenses are on the lower side of the spectrum, she’d benefit greatly from being teamed up with more defense- and resistance-heavy allies to keep the pressure off of her while she commands them. Allies who suffer in terms of mobility and power could greatly benefit from working with her as well, as she can instruction them how to exactly move and attack to deal the most damage. If she needs to serve on non-flier-exclusive teams, she can make a great support unit for slower allies, repositioning them to safety and such.

Personality-wise, her relationships are similar to those she shares with her New Years counterpart.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

We met this version of Laegjarn during our (apparently) annual summer vacation, and later joined us after helping her out with a rampant Tempest (is it just me or are they starting to pop up a lot more?).

I’m glad she’s starting to open up more, though I admittedly have not much else to say.

Alfonse, however, seems to have a lot to say, specifically about her choice of weapon; he decided to scour through Askr mythology and folklore upon seeing the item in her possession, remembering that a similar looking artifact was described in old texts. Hours of reading through dusty tomes rewarded him with the mythology of the mythical “Worldsea Wave;” apparently, it is an artifact with deep connections to the creation myths of Zenith, being related to its oceans and larger bodies of water, with the more common description for it being that it is the “very heart of the waters.”

I’m not gonna dismiss the possibility that it is indeed the “heart of the waters,” considering the godly entities currently existing in this very Order and tomes such as Forseti and Loptous, but I can’t help but wonder why it just suddenly appeared, and in Laegjarn’s possession. A message from the gods perhaps? Or is it just a magical artifact that had its origin embellished?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Berkut's entry has also been updated to include his Fallen alt.


	16. Ishtar

Hero Entry J052: Ishtar, Thunder Goddess

**OVERVIEW**

A member of House Friege of Judgral and niece of Tailtiu. A young lady renowned for her prowess as a mage due to both her inherit skill from her lineage and the teachings of her retainer Reinhardt, she was betrothed to Julius and aided him in not only Friege’s occupation of the Manster District but also in defending against Seliph’s army during their campaign against the Empire. Though she was in love with Julius, her feelings came to fruition before he gained possession of the Loptous tome, and while she still stood by his side when he committed atrocities under Loptous’ control (such as the child hunts), she did at least make some attempts to do some good, such as hiding some of the escaped children in a monastery.  She would lose her life leading the Weissritter squadron against Seliph after his successful capture of Friege. She has major Thrud blood.

Though Ishtar is a kind and level-headed woman, she is someone who struggles with either staying loyal to those she loves and trusts or following what she believes to be morally right; although she has a strong sense of justice and did what she could against the wicked actions of the Grannvale Empire behind their back (even voicing her distaste for the child hunts directly to Manfroy), her love for both Julius and her family stopped her from taking more extreme actions such as joining Seliph’s liberation army; despite being aware of the abusive and selfish disposition of her mother, the wrongdoings of her possessed lover, and that Seliph and Leif’s forces were fighting against an oppressive entity for the betterment of the people, she still stood beside the Empire and her fiancée rather than the princes. The conflict between desire and justice is a difficult one for her, one she hasn’t found a definite answer for yet.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Having been both trained by Reinhardt and for having major Thrud blood flowing through her veins, it comes as no surprise that Ishtar is incredibly skilled with magic. Not only is she well versed in all types of anima magic (thunder especially), she also has an impressive understanding of light magic and healing magic as well; the only major fields of magic she has no knowledge or skill in are those regarding dark magic and hexes. Her martial prowess, however, is near nonexistent; while she has some training in swordsmanship due to Reinhardt, it’s not enough for it to be all that much of use in battle. The only other weapon she has any understanding of is daggers, but only as an emergency weapon; every other weapon type she lacks skill in.

Ishtar’s main strengths are her high magical power and her impressive speed, easily being able to overwhelm foes with multiple devastating strikes while also having a good chance of avoiding any retaliatory strikes. However, she trades devastating firepower for poor defenses; while her resistance is at least average (below average at worst), her lack of proper armor means she has incredibly poor defense, and while her constitution is also average, it’d only take a good one or two physical strikes to take her down.

Thankfully, Ishtar makes a good attempt at bolstering her strengths and patching up her weaknesses with her combat knowledge; to capitalize on her offensive capabilities, her main fighting style revolves around hitting the enemy fast and hard, taking them out swiftly when initiating combat to minimize counterattacks. If a foe proves to be too bulky for her to take down immediately, she can use the _Moonbow_ technique to help pierce through their high resistance. In terms of compensating for her lackluster defenses, she did learn from Reinhardt a technique where she lulls an enemy into a false sense of security with her wounded form and strikes them before they attack. Unfortunately, while this skill can be effective in certain situations, she’d need to be sure that her counterattack can kill her opponent and also hope the foe is not a close-ranged fighter that can close the distance too quickly for her to properly strike back.

The favored weapon of Ishtar is the legendary Judgral tome ~~Mjo~~ Mjölnir. While it was weakened upon its arrival to Zenith, it is still a rather powerful weapon; the lightning enhancement still boosts her speed and reaction time greatly (albeit not as strongly), which complements her fighting style rather well, _and_ also makes it much easier for her to concentrate and pull off special techniques like _Moonbow_. Finally, she can also release a wave of electricity that can enhance the power of both herself and any nearby allies, though this does require immense concentration and cannot be used consistently.

Mjölnir has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Ishtar’s amazing speed and power make her an excellent frontline fighter, though one that must be taken care of during longer skirmishes.

While her resistance is not the worst amongst the Order, it’d still be best if she were paired up with allies that can more easily survive magical blows, and especially if they have great defense to go along with that. Healers could also be a possible choice as support options since they can keep her out of very critical condition while still allowing her to catch foes off guard. Lastly, while she can play a small support role with Mjölnir’s ability, one shouldn’t rely on it as the main method to deal damage, only using it for Blade tome wielders and to give other squad members a slight edge in combat as needed.

Isthar’s best compatibility comes from those that are from or are allies of Friege; she works excellently with both Reinhardt and Julius, works well with Saias and Arvis, and even works decently with Olwen despite some tension between them. Most from both Seliph and Leif’s parties are wary of her, but both of the princes are a willing to overlook the actions of both her and House Friege to deal with greater threats (it also helps that Ishtar is also trying to work with them despite the murder of her family). While she may have a neutral relationship with most of Sigurd’s party due the generation gap, she is close to her aunt Tailtiu and works quite well with her. Outside of the Judgral natives, she works effectively enough with most everyone due to her level-headed nature and amiable personality, though she does seem to avoid the likes of Hardin, Valter, Gharnef, and the Grimas.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Ishtar was encountered alongside Lene and Ares during our campaign into Múspell, led by Helbindi. Though she disappeared back to her own world after our battle, she (or at least another version of her) was later summoned into our ranks.

She and I really don’t have that close of a relationship; we don’t hate each other or anything, it’s just that we haven’t had extended periods of time to talk. Sure, she occasionally comes to me for advice or to get some burdens off her chest – because apparently general consensus is that I’m the unofficial counselor of the Order - but that’s really it. The most I really know is that aside from spending considerable time with Julius, she has on occasion interacted with Seliph, Leif, and Olwen, possibly reconciling her past actions of working alongside the Empire (I have caught an occasional glance of her talking with one of those three in one of the castle’s common areas).

Still, while she seems to have been repairing her relationships with others, I _am_ concerned about how much she’s been hanging around Julius; considering that the boy is possessed by Loptous at the moment, I wouldn’t put it past the dragon to try and overthrow me or break free of our contract by using Ishtar as some sort of proxy. Best to keep a closer eye on the two of them.


	17. Camus

Hero Entry A053: Camus, Sable Knight

**OVERVIEW**

A knight of Grust and commander of the Sable Order, he was widely reputed throughout Archanea as “the most able warrior alive”. During the War of Shadows, Grust’s cowardly king Ludwik quickly joined in an alliance with Dolhr, one Camus personally objected to but ultimately complied with. Though he played a significant part in the downfall of the Kingdom of Archanea, he arranged with Nyna that he would return at a later date to take custody of both her and the capital as a means to protect her from more cruel occupiers. It was during that occupation that the two would eventually develop an affection for one another. However, Medeus would eventually grow tired of Camus’ methods and dispatched an army to apprehend Nyna. Camus, in an act of defiance against Grust, escorted Nyna out of the kingdom to find refuge with Hardin in Aurelis and deserted the Grust Army, keeping Dolhr occupied until he was eventually captured and imprisoned. Near the end of the war, Camus was released and reinstated as the leader of the Grust army, fighting under Dolhr’s command until his final battle with Marth in the heart Grust, where he would be defeated and presumed killed.

In truth, Camus survived those events, and would later make appearances in both the War of Rigel and War of Heroes. However, as this version of Camus has not experienced those events, they will not be covered in this entry.

Camus is what many would consider a very honorable man, one with a strong sense of justice and a kind heart but bound by his duty as a knight; he believes that as knight, he must serve his liege without question, even if he disagrees with the orders and tasks given to him ~~didn’t stop him from returning Boah’s Thoron tome or getting Nyna to Aurelis.~~ He also cares greatly for those placed under his protection, be they general common folk or specific individuals such as Nyna. This, however, is also a major weakness of his character, as he can be easily cowed into submission through hostages. Overall, he can be described as a good person (if a bit distant) working under bad people. 

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

True to his title, Camus is one of the most venerable and stalwart warriors, matched only by the likes of Xander, Zelgius, and similar fighters. His training in the Grust military has gifted him nearly unparalleled skill with swords, lances, and axes, with his most favored weapon being lances. His skill with a bow is nothing to scoff at either, able to switch to an exclusively ranged role if needed. Even his skill with daggers is impressive, only held back by the fact that he’s self-taught. There is no martial weapon that Camus cannot use. When it comes to magic, however, he is rather lacking, as he has no affinity for the mystic arts; combat magic of all types, healing magic, and hexes are completely incompatible with him. Outside of weapon prowess, Camus is also skilled in horse-riding, and it is his preferred method of travel.

Camus’ main fighting style leans towards a balanced style; though not the fastest Hero amongst the Order, he is still quite speedy while also keeping impressive defense due to the quality of his armor. He is also pretty powerful as well, able to take hits and deal them just as well. His only major weakness is his poor levels of resistance, which is only slightly mitigated by his decent constitution. To make up for his well-balanced fighting style, he has experience as a cavalry commander, able to lead allies with great skill; his training in both the Grust army and the Sable Order placed emphasis on tactics and strategies that focused on striking opponents fast and hard.

For offense, Camus wields the Gradivus, one of the three Regalia of Archanea. Though it is renowned as a powerful lance said to pierce stone, there is more to this weapon than that modest description. For one, the lance can be thrown like a javelin, able to strike ranged targets with relative ease and can return to the user’s hand as a bolt of lightning. For two, and tying into the aforementioned lightning, the lance can be used to scorch a large area of land with electricity, damaging multiple targets at once. While this electricity is not strong enough to outright kill a target, it can easily soften them up enough for Camus - or his allies - to strike them down with their next blow.

Gradivus has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

For defense, Camus carries Grani’s Shield, the national treasure of Grust. This unique shield has a very powerful enchantment, one that can soften the blows of weapons and magic specifically designed to easily tear through cavalry such as the Ridersbane lance and Wolf subset of tomes; ultimately, a fitting weapon for one who constantly fights on horseback.

~~Okay, Wolf tomes I kind get, because magic shield blocks magic attack, but how the heck does it know if it’s being hit by a Ridersbane or not? Gah, whatever.~~

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Having a great amount of experience as both a warrior and commander, Camus makes for an equally great squadron leader or soldier, depending on one’s preferences or needs.

Since Camus is most familiar with leading groups of cavalry forces, it would be wise to place him on a cavalry-heavy squad to make good use of his skills. As his greatest weakness is a lack of resistance, pairing him with high-resistance allies would be an excellent choice as well. Also, any allies that can enhance his speed would be a good option; while his speed is not the worst, it could most certainly be better. In terms of what he brings to the table, his decent defense means that he can weather physical blows for his frailer allies.

Most of the Heroes from Archanea work well enough with Camus, though there is still some level of tension since they were on opposing sides, the only exception being the Whitewing sisters (as they are from post-War of Rigel). A number of the Heroes from Valentia are friendly with him, but they always mistake him for Zeke instead, which leaves him quite confused. Heroes with similar disposition to him, such as Xander and Eldigan, also work quite well with Camus, understanding his actions and position as a knight. Aside from the usual individuals of Gharnef and Valter, few heroes actually hate or dislike him, with two notable exceptions; the first is Hardin, who seems to always be shooting a glare at the knight whenever he sees him (I will admit however, that I do not if that is because he knows who Nyna actually loved, or if it’s just his standard distrust of everyone not part of Archanea). The second is, interestingly, Legault; the thief finds the knight to be “a fool that needs to listen to his heart once and a while,” and has on occasion had scuffles with him. Thankfully, those scuffles have _only_ been verbal (I assume Legault has problems with Camus’ attitude due to his experience with the Fang’s downfall).

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

The Order first encountered Camus during Veronica’s assault on the Askr summoning ruins, though only very briefly. It was not until our own campaign to hunt down the five Heroes that assisted her that we had a more in-depth meeting, where he was defeated and conscripted to our side.

Our relationship is amiable enough, though I’ll admit I do have a dislike for him, mainly in regards to his code as a knight; I just don’t get the whole “loyalty to country” thing when it is obvious the country you’re serving under is not in the right mind. By the point he was released from custody for his actions of protecting Nyna, it was essentially Medeus in control of Grust, not Ludwik, yet he still fought Marth’s party.

Honestly, I have to agree with Legault on this; he’s a fool that should listen to his heart more.


	18. Idunn

Hero Entry E061: Idunn, Dark Priestess

**OVERVIEW**

A Divine Dragon from Elibe that was twisted into what is known as the Demon Dragon. Back during the Scouring, a number of the dragon tribes of Elibe attempted to create a creature that could counteract the human’s ability to quickly reproduce their numbers; this creature would be known as the Demon Dragon, and it would have the ability to produces War Dragons – soulless creatures that only knew how to fight – to combat the humans. The Divine Dragon tribe, however, disagreed with such a plan, so much so that they eventually vanished from Elibe entirely. The only member left on the continent was Idunn, who was captured and had her soul destroyed, transforming her into the Demon Dragon. However, even with this massive boon to their forces, the dragons were still defeated due to the weapons wielded by the Eight Legends, with Idunn being sealed away by Hartmut in a shrine hidden in Bern, as he pitied her state. It would not be until the Disturbance of Bern that she would be unsealed and awakened by Zephiel, where she would once more be used to create War Dragons until Roy confronted her at the Dragon Sanctuary. There, she was defeated and given a second chance at life, finding a home in Arcadia.

The process of becoming a Demon Dragon destroyed Idunn’s original personality; all that is left of her is this shell of a woman who is incredibly unemotive and does nothing but take orders from those she deems her superiors; she has no desires of her own, and makes no attempts to interact with others. Fortunately, she has been showing minor improvements ever since arriving to Askr, such as being more inquisitive regarding certain activities and wondering what her purpose in this world is now that she has not been ordered to eradicate humanity.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

As an Elibean dragon, Idunn has no experience in utilizing any sort of physical weapon. While she may have some affinity for the magical arts due to her draconic origins and powers, she has no skill nor any interest in learning such techniques.

Idunn’s method of combat can be described as very reactive; she fights her best when opponents are the ones to make the first strike. Even though she is one of the slower Heroes in the Order, her reactive nature means she easily counterattacks foes, keeping up with the likes of faster Heroes such as Karla and Mareeta. She also seems to more easily produce flames similar to the _Bonfire_ technique when on the defensive, easily tearing apart whatever enemies are thrown at her.

However, all that pales in comparison to Idunn’s unique physiology and the powers contained in her dragonstone; though the transformation into the Demon Dragon destroyed her soul, it granted her multiple physical benefits when it comes to combat. To start off, her “Demonic Breath” is an odd type of fire she breathes out that has corrosive/disintegrative properties, easily tearing apart the plates of heavy armor. Surprisingly, it also has defensive applications as well; if wounded or otherwise weakened through magic such as hexes, Idunn’s body activates a sort of self-defense mechanism that releases smoke from between her scales, which not only destroy the hexes afflicting her ~~somehow~~ , but also enhances her own defensive and offensive capabilities.

Speaking of her defenses, the transformation also greatly enhanced the protective qualities of her scales, allowing her to better shrug off powerful blows; in fact, she has some of the best defense and resistance levels amongst the Order. However, these more protective scales come at a major cost, weakening the strength of her “Demonic Breath” (though not by much) and making her more susceptible to weapons and magic specifically designed to tear through heavy armor. These scales also do nothing to improve her constitution, though similar to her natural strength, it is not a field she’s all that weak in either. Another way the transformation has affected her is in her weaknesses to magic; her body naturally resists wind and ice spells, but has a greater weakness to thunder and light spells.

Idunn’s dragonstone has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

While Idunn also does technically have the ability to produce War Dragons, said ability was only limited to the Dragon Sanctuary, as that location had the latent magical energy necessary for her to take such action. However, her arrival to Zenith does not mean that the ability completely disappeared, it merely means that it was weakened and modified. Now instead of _producing_ more dragons, Idunn can _enhance_ her fellow dragons; any allies with major dragon blood that are close to her will feel their scales harden, allowing them to more easily weather both physical and magical blows.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Idunn’s destructive capabilities and impressive defenses make her a devastating warrior, especially if placed in a defensive role.

Similar to ~~that fire prick~~ Surtr, Idunn actually works quite well autonomously due to her strengths; in fact, she’s most likely one of the few, if not the _only_ , Hero who I’d recommend _not_ partnering a healer with (or at the very least, not a well-skilled one), since her unique physiology enhances her abilities if she’s at a disadvantage or wounded. If she does need to be paired up with anyone, either Heroes trained in heavy armor formations or mobility (as her harder scales seem similar and can benefit from such formations) or fellow dragons (as they can benefit from her abilities) would be good choices.

Because Idunn has a more isolated/reserved disposition, the number of working relationships she has in the Order is a bit limited. Her strongest ~~if you could really call it that~~ relationships are with those from Elibe during the Disturbance of Bern and those that are also dragons. From Elibe, Roy and his allies are quite friendly with her and happily interact with her, though she usually just responds with curt sentences. On the other hand, she is much more responsive to Zephiel, and is one of the few the King actually has a cordial relationship with. Her relationships with dragons are a bit more varied; the likes of Fae, Nowi, and the young Tiki are often seen following after her and getting her to experience new things, while the adult Tiki and Duma seem to pity the girl for what she had to go through ~~though I swear, sometimes I feel like Duma’s pity sounds conceited, maybe it’s just me.~~ Her most interesting relationship, however, is with the Grimas; perhaps because their draconic abilities are similar in a number of ways, or because of her title and purpose as “destroyer of humanity,” Idunn seems to be the only individual the Fell Dragons are willing to give a modicum of respect to.

(Or perhaps, it’s neither of those reasons. Perhaps the tragedy of Idunn’s life – forced into a role by others, a vessel to carry out someone else’s will – struck a chord with them. It will be a mystery, considering how little the Fell Dragons talk of their own feelings.)

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Idunn was encountered during our journey to enter the realm of Hel, one of the final thresholds before we found the entrance portal. She was later summoned during our travel through Hel.

I want to help her.

That’s all I can really say; what the dragons did to her was vile, and I wish to do everything in my power to bring her soul back. I want to save her, and she has been showing improvements, what with her garden and such, but aside from putting her around warm company like Roy and Fae, I don’t know what else to do…

…I do know this though; the moment Jahn sets foot in Askr, I’m pretty sure I’m going to break his nose.


	19. Morgan

Hero Entry Y039: Morgan, Lad from Afar

**OVERVIEW**

A tactician-in-training from the ruined future of Ylisse, and son of the female version of Robin and, by extension, the son of Grima. Despite supposedly coming from the same ruined future as the other Shepherd children, none of the other children have any hard recollection of him, at most commenting that there is a familiar air about him. This is not helped by the fact that almost all of Morgan’s memories (save for those of his mother and of tactics) are gone, making him an amnesiac much like Robin first was. Still, he is a member of the Shepherds, having assisted them in the war against Valm and also the Grimleal.

There is the possibility that he was a previous servant of Grima that lost his memories during the jump back in time, as his weaponry and interaction with the Fell Dragon provide evidence to support such a claim…

Morgan is a rather peppy individual despite his lack of memories; naturally optimistic, he is always willing to see the best in a situation and shows enthusiasm for new experiences. He is also a determined individual, always ready to do his best and always happy to help out others when he can, even if they don’t specifically ask for assistance. On the other hand, he can rather juvenile as well, taking part in pranks and being a major member in the antics of others, such as Owain’s theatrics and Cynthia’s speeches. However, he is not entirely a fool, as he has an impressive mind for tactics and can be rather wily as well. ~~Though I will admit, he can be really lacking in common sense sometimes, like smacking his head repeatedly to try and get some memories back. Seriously, that is just dumb.~~

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Much like his mother, Morgan’s main choice of weapons are the sword and magic designed for combat, specifically the anima and dark branches. However, he is not exactly limited just to those weapons, showing great potential in using almost all other physical weapons (save for daggers) and all other magic branches. Similarly, he has shown potential in regards to riding both horses and wyverns as well, meaning he could learn to be more mobile if needed. Granted, he would need a proper trainer for those fields, but the options are there.

Though Morgan’s combat style can be quite flexible depending on the situation, in general circumstances he favors speed and power; having decent magical power and being quite nimble himself, he prefers to end skirmishes as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is supported by both his weapon’s ability (which will be discussed later) and his subpar defenses; simply put, he cannot afford to take part in extended skirmishes due to a lack of high-grade armor and magic-resistant equipment (not even his decent-enough constitution would keep him alive for long). Having access to draconic heritage through Grima’s bloodline also helps in his aggressive style, as he can utilize the _Dragon Fang_ technique to more easily tear apart foes.

In addition to his prowess for battle, Morgan is also very skilled in tactics and leadership; having learned and been trained in various forms of strategy by his mother, he makes for a good squadron commander and is incredibly flexible and adaptable when it comes to unexpected situations. In fact, while he himself leans more towards an offensive fighting style, his strategies are mainly defensively oriented, having Heroes more easily weather enemy blows, be they physical or magical. However, the main weakness of these strategies is that they require allies to be close to one another, similar to a phalanx formation (though considering that Morgan rushes into the thick of things alongside his teammates, perhaps it is not as much of a weakness as one would think).

Morgan’s main weapon of choice is a special Grimleal tome called Grima’s Truth. Affiliated with the dragon whose blood he shares ~~obviously~~ , he is one of the few individuals able to use it to its fullest capability. Aside from passively granting its wielder enhanced defense (through the sudden growth of scales on the body), it also has the ability to drain the strength and speed of a target (and any individuals near said target) in order to boost his own (or any of his nearby allies’) speed and strength ~~oddly generous of Grima to allow that,~~ which synergizes well with how he fights. The tome also seems to have the ability to strip certain targets (such as magic users) from any sorts of boosts they receive, meaning their combat prowess is weakened when doing battle with Morgan.

Grima’s Truth has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Squadrons/teams built around being vanguards in combat would benefit greatly from Morgan’s training as a tactician and his more aggressive method of combat.

As his weakest fields are his defenses, pairing Morgan with high-defense or high-resistance allies would be a great choice, as they can take the brunt of damage in skirmishes while Morgan can pick off targets and enhance his allies’ own combat abilities through Grima’s Truth. Since his favored tactics are ones that place attention on defense, Heroes with middling defenses could also take advantage of his skills and tactics.

Despite being an amnesiac, Morgan works well with almost everyone; many of the Shepherds, including the children, play off him quite well, and enjoy his company and sunny disposition. He, similarly, enjoys working with the Shepherds, always ready to help them out with whatever troubles them, especially if his mother asks for assistance. And this kindness isn’t just exclusive to the Heroes from Ylisse; he has shown good synergy with the likes of Roy’s group and the children from Hoshido and Nohr as well. He seems to especially get along well with the Kanas, acting like a sort of big brother to them. However, Morgan’s relationship with the Grimas is…odd, to say the least; while he is not incredibly friendly with the Fell Dragons, he isn’t seething at them like the other Ylissean children either.

(In fact, he has commented to me once that he feels something familiar about them, and not just the fact that one of them looks like his mother. Again, evidence to support he once worked under Grima.)

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Morgan was encountered by the Order in Nifl during our plan to capture Laegjarn; we had trapped her and her contracted Heroes at Hjarnhof and soundly defeated her, giving us extended time to search for Gunnthrá. After he was released of his contract, Morgan requested to join the Order, apparently interested in my tactical prowess.

I’ll admit, it’s a little odd being looked up to so much by someone. Like, the way Morgan looks up to me is different from how most everyone else looks to me, as they more so view me as a friend/co-worker they can confide to. Being a sort of role model for someone is a new experience for me. I mean, he flat out said to me that I am second only to his mother when it comes to strategy, and considering how devoted he is to her, that is quite the declaration. Heck, he even asked me to take him on as an apprentice.

Granted, I didn’t accept him as one yet, on the account that he got into some rather frustrating shenanigans with his female counterpart, but I’m definitely considering taking him on as apprentice…though I will be honest, I have no idea what I’d make him do aside from getting me coffee so I can stay up and work on more tactics through the night.

Not exactly the healthiest habit I can pass onto him.

…But, to get more serious for a moment (and this applies to the female counterpart as well, what I’m about to say) I have some concerns regarding Morgan’s connection to Grima; Validar was able to control Robin’s actions at one point after the war with Valm due their shared blood and Validar’s skill with magic, and it’s entirely possible Grima could do the same to Morgan due to the blood shared between them. And considering Morgan may have deeper connections to the Fell Dragon than just sharing blood – like being a previous servant of him/her – there’s no telling what would happen if Morgan’s memories would return and it would be discovered he actually did work under Grima previously. 

While I believe Morgan would not easily be tempted to Grima’s side now that he has his new memories with the Shepherds, the pragmatic part of me still wants to keep an eye on him just in case.

 

* * *

 

Hero Entry Y039a: Morgan, Lass from Afar

**OVERVIEW**

A tactician-in-training from the ruined future of Ylisse, and daughter of the male version of Robin and, by extension, daughter of Grima. The only major difference in backstory in terms of this version of Morgan and the male version is the gender of herself and which parent she remembers.

Her personality is also rather similar to her male version (peppy despite amnesia, enthusiastic, smart tactically but also a prankster, etc.), though there are some key differences; Whereas the male Morgan is much more mellow ~~and dorky~~ , female Morgan is more wacky and, in some cases, more insensitive/mean-spirited; she has been known to pull the ears of Yarne, despite the taguel’s pained protests, because they “are cute and I am a bit of a sadist,” as she says, and goes with Laslow/Inigo on his journeys into town to watch him “crash and burn with his flirting attempts.” Still, her skill in tactics can’t be denied, have learned much from her father.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

In terms of weapons, female Morgan carries many of the same skills and potential abilities as her male counterpart, except she has a better grasp of light magic than she does dark magic. Plus, while the male Morgan only had potential when it came to riding a mount, female Morgan actually has experience riding a pegasus, giving her an advantage in that field.

While her combat style is also quite flexible, Morgan definitely leans more towards a defensive style for herself, especially in regards to defending against magic. In comparison to her male counterpart, female Morgan has a greater natural resistance, is slightly more powerful, and has better mobility options due to her use of a mount. However, she is not as fast nor is she as bulky defense-wise. She makes up for this by not only utilizing hexes to debilitate her opponent’s strength and ability to concentrate (weakening their combat potential), she also heavily uses an aerial stance/formation that enhances her ability to take magical blows, and using the ambient magic left from impact to dish out more damaging attacks. There is also the fact that she is not as in-tune with her draconic blood, meaning she cannot access the _Dragon Fang_ technique, though she does make up for this by having mastered the _Iceberg_ technique, able to freeze foes as needed.

Female Morgan’s squad tactics are flexible and adaptive for any given situation, much like male Morgan’s. However, her strategies mainly rely on using hexes on foes to support her allies, rather using formations to boost their defenses. In essence, she hangs back while male Morgan goes into the thick of things.

Female Morgan carries a standard-issue Blárserpent tome, a type of magic tome unique only to Zenith. The tome creates a spectral snake that can not only strike at ranged targets by popping out of the ground, but can also coil around the user to act as a shield against enemy attacks, be they physical or magical. However, it is only real useful against projectiles such as magic and daggers; close-ranged foes can easily break through the incorporeal mass to strike the user directly, and the magic of dragon breath easily burns away the snake. Still, it synergizes quite well with Morgan’s standard strategy. 

As it is a standard-issue weapon, it has shown no unique reactions from the Rite of Blades, merely having its capabilities enhanced by the forging process.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Female Morgan makes for a great squadron commander, especially if put in charge of a team designed to defend or protect.

Since she has an impressive resistance, Morgan pairs up well with those with impressive defense. She also makes for an excellent support member for the main fighters of a squad, as her hexes can weaken foes and give her allies an easier time fighting.

Personality-wise, many of Morgan’s affinities for certain individuals remain similar to her male counterpart; the only differences come from the Shepards themselves, where she has a closer connection to the male Robin and has closer relations to the female children than the males. The connection with Grima is, likewise, present as well.

  **PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Morgan was encountered by the Order in Nifl during our plan to capture Laegjarn; we had trapped her and her contracted Heroes at Hjarnhof and soundly defeated her, giving us extended time to search for Gunnthrá. After she was released of her contract, Morgan requested to join the Order, apparently interested in my tactical prowess.

(Yes, this is the exact same description I gave the male Morgan, but since they both were contracted by Laegjarn and could basically be considered twins of one another, such repetition is not as surprising.) 

She’s a bigger handful than her male counterpart, I’ll admit, being way more willing to goof off and get in trouble with others…but she’s just as crafty and has an eye for tactics like the male Morgan, so it balances it out, in a sense. There is also the fact that she also looks up to me, believing I am second only to her father when it comes to tactics, so it can be hard to actively dislike her in any way.

Still, she really should learn to reel back on the pranks/goofiness a little; she got into a major prank war with the male Morgan over who could be the better apprentice for. At first, it was just some harmless frogs and fake spiders and the like; it wasn’t until it escalated to the point where bystanders got hurt that I had to reprimand them, since Setsuna actually twisted and sprained one of her ankles upon falling into one of their pitfall traps.

Needless to say, neither became my apprentice, and I had them apologize to everyone for their behavior. I’d still probably give them both the opportunity to be my apprentice, but I’m definitely letting them stew on their actions first.

Now if only I could get the female Morgan to stop playing tome stackers so much as well…


	20. Corrin

Hero Entry VA001: Corrin, Fateful Prince

**OVERVIEW**

A prince from the lands of Hoshido and Nohr, and son of Mikoto. Originally a member of the Hoshidan royal family, he was kidnapped by Garon when Sumeragi was ambushed and murdered during what was assumed to be peace talks between the nations. From there, he was raised in the isolation of the Northern Fortress, believing that he was a member of the Nohrian royal family, until a mission gone wrong found him in the company of Ryoma and Mikoto; from there, he learned the truth of his situation ~~well, not the _whole_ truth, but that will be covered later~~, but did not have time to process the revelation fully, as the weapon gifted to him by Garon for his mission led to the death of his mother, which in turn led to Nohr beginning its assault onto its neighbor. On the plains of Hoshido, where both armies met, Corrin was left with a difficult choice: either stay with his Hoshidan family and fight against Garon, or return to his Nohrian family and fight alongside them.

Ultimately, this Corrin chose to stay with his Hoshidan family, angered by Garon’s murder of his mother. From there, he would lead his own personal army into Nohrian territory, fighting through waves of soldiers and eventually putting an end to the Nohrian king’s reign. 

There is, however, more to Corrin than just the above; while he _is_ Mikoto’s son, he is also the son of Anankos, making him Vallite royalty. In fact, he actually isn’t related to the Hoshidan royals by blood at all.

Having grown up in isolation with only his servants and occasionally his Nohrian siblings as company, Corrin could be best described as sheltered; he is incredibly curious about the world around him, always asking questions regarding certain topics and always wondering about the feelings/burdens of his comrades. He is also incredibly kind as well, happy to help out others in whatever way possible. However, he is equally naïve, not afraid to take an individual’s word at face value and always putting faith in others even when they admit to not being the best person morally. Plus, Corrin can be rather…affectionate on occasion with those he is close with, giving out head pats at best and being a bit too nosy at worse. That said, he’s not being malicious, and is quick to apologize for any possible slights he may have caused or bounds he has overstepped. Also, due to being part dragon, Corrin is also more susceptible to emotional outbursts and acts more empathetic during conversation and such.

The experiences of fighting alongside Hoshido has made some minor changes to his general personality, mainly in his self-confidence; during combat, he has been known to display a rather cocky (and on occasion, snarky) attitude against his enemies, not afraid to challenge an opponent’s boast with his own. Unfortunately, this cocky attitude on occasion gives way to more violent behavior, which can be problematic during stressful situations. Still, he at least seems able to rein in his anger when needed.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Corrin is skilled in a variety of weapons due to both his training at the Northern Fortress and his experiences in the Nohr/Hoshido War, being incredibly well-versed in the use of both swordplay and healing magic, with swords being his main weapon of choice. He also has adequate knowledge regarding how to handle lances, bows, axes, and daggers, though he rarely uses them unless needed. He also does have the ability to utilize combat magic and hexes, but he hasn’t put as much time training though skills. Finally, his potent bloodline from Anankos has granted him the ability not only to activate the fabled Dragon Veins, which can alter the terrain around him, but he can also transform into a powerful dragon (though he has admitted to neglecting use of that form after accidently harming Azura).

Corrin utilizes a balanced style of combat, not having any major strengths or weaknesses in any specific field, save for good defense (enhanced by his dragon blood) and sub-par resistance respectively. While he is by no means the fastest fighter in the Order, he is not easily outmaneuvered unless facing against foes such as Ayra or Mia. It also helps that he has a decent constitution, allowing him to survive hits easier and fight for greater periods of time. To match his more balanced style, he takes a more supportive role in combat, assisting frontline fighters usually by guarding their flanks and obstructing foes from targeting them. That said, he isn’t without frontline options, since he can use the _Dragon Fang_ technique to deal great damage to any opponent he crosses swords with.

While he does have experience leading soldiers into battle due to the Nohr/Hoshido War, his leadership abilities are not as refined since he usually deferred to Ryoma in the latter half of the war.

The main weapon used by Corrin is the fabled Yato, a regalia created by the legendary Rainbow Sage; specifically, he is using the Blazing variant of the Yato, which is known for its ability to passively enhance his general and strength and speed; while the strength enhancing part was at first lost upon Corrin coming to Askr, the augmentation to his reflexes and general speed were kept, with a few minor adjustments (according to Corrin, the speed/reflex enhancement only seems active when he initiates combat; if an opponent gets the drop on him, the increase to his reaction time does not seem to appear).

The Yato is one of the numerous legendary weapons able to be refined by the Rite of Blades. Upon enduring the rite, the Blazing Yato transforms into the Alpha Yato; this variant of the Yato augments all of Corrin’s parameters, passively increasing his speed, strength, defense, and resistance at the cost of losing the more enhanced speed of the Blazing Yato. Not only that, the refined Yato also has an interesting reaction occur when Corrin is near an ally; the refinement enhances an ally’s parameters as well, allowing Corrin to work that much better as a support partner. It is very similar to the Archanean Falchion refine, except the Yato’s ability affects one specific individual with greater potency rather than augmenting multiple individuals with a weaker potency.

(Another interesting detail about Corrin’s Yato is its appearance; while the base and refined enchantments closely mirror the abilities of the Blazing and Alpha versions respectively, it takes the form of the Omega Yato specifically. It’s interesting that said form is represented despite not having its full enchantment, though much like Alm carrying the Valentian Falchion despite just recently joining the Deliverance, it’s most likely just some odd Breidablik glitch)

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Since Corrin’s general approach to combat plus his Yato refine are more support-based, he makes for a great back-up fighter and vanguard assist that can pull double-duty as a leader if necessary.

Since the refinement of Yato can strengthen the parameters of a single ally, it is best if he works alongside an individual that is similarly built as a jack-of-all-trades in order grant the most beneficial boosts. More defensive-based Heroes can also benefit from the boosted strength to help them in their counterattacks. He can also act as a guardian for any ranged fighters, keeping foes occupied so that his allies can deal great damage unimpeded. If Corrin must take a more active role in combat, then pairing him with high-resistance Heroes to check against enemy magic users would be a wise course of action due to his weak resistance. Pairing Corrin with Heroes that can increase his speed and reflexes would also be smart.    

Having come from a realm where he fought under Hoshido’s banner, it comes as no surprise that Corrin works best with the Heroes that come from said nation, having great synergy with all the royals and retainers. However, he has difficulty working with any Heroes from Nohr, especially the likes of Xander and Elise, since his siding with Hoshido caused him to face against them. Outside of those parties, he seems to have a good rapport with Eirika and Marth, no doubt due to similar personality traits. He also works quite well with the Robins, having called them something similar to a “kindred spirit” at one point, _and_ seems to oddly work well with the Branded of Tellius, such as Micaiah and Zelgius (perhaps something related to their dual bloodlines?).

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Corrin was summoned into our ranks during our campaign through the lands of Hoshido, making him one of the major veterans of the Order of Heroes.

Our relationship is a lot like siblings; he does his best to care for me, and I do my best to care for him. Ultimately, we look out for each other. While I could probably complain about how touchy-feely he can be, I know its only because he was usually starved for affection back in the Northern Fortress, since Garon was an ass who abused and neglected him when he was younger.

Besides, it’d be hypocritical for me to criticize him, since I’ve started to develop a habit of giving head pats to other Heroes as well.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hero Entry VA001a: Corrin, Fateful Princess

**OVERVIEW**

A princess from the lands of Hoshido and Nohr, and daughter of Mikoto. Much of her past remains similar to her male counterpart, though her choice on the plains of Hoshido was different; instead of staying with Ryoma and the others, she returned to her Nohrian family and attempted to stop Garon’s plans from within. In order to bring an end to his tyranny, Corrin was forced to enact and be exposed to many traumatic events revolving around death and injustice. However, her plan to defeat Garon reached fruition after the conquering of Hoshido, where she finally put an end to the Nohrian king.

This version of Corrin shares many personality traits with her male counterpart; she is kindhearted and affectionate, but naïve and too trusting on occasion. However, because she joined with the Nohrians instead of the Hoshidans, aspects of her disposition are different from the male Corrin; for one, the female Corrin is much less aggressive and cocky, instead being more merciful to others and more introspective on her actions, always attempting to think of the consequences. However, she also seems to have greater issues of self-worth, not only feeling unworthy of holding the sacred Yato blade but has also admitted to usually feeling powerless in a number of situations.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Compared to her male counterpart, this Corrin has similar skill levels in all weapon types with a few notable exceptions; rather than being well-versed in healing magic, she is instead an advanced user of both combat magic and hexes. Also, her skill with the sword is not as developed, as she gave more attention and training to her dragon-changing abilities, which is her main weapon choice.

Because she utilized her dragon form more often and acclimatized to its abilities, this version of Corrin has been able to more easily benefit from her draconic side’s physiology, sporting naturally greater defense and speed than her Hoshidan counterpart, often able to guard against physical blows and overwhelm foes with quick strikes. However, the physiology of her dragon form lacks the same level of strength and resistance that is apparent in her male counterpart; while the decrease in resistance is not as much of a detriment considering the Hoshidan Corrin didn’t have a strong resistance either, the lack of strength is a bit concerning, only circumvented by both the dragon breath’s unique characteristic to ignore high resistance/defense and her mastery of the _Draconic Aura_ technique, which, while lacking the overall power of the similar _Dragon Fang_ , is much easier to activate, especially since this Corrin has a better understanding of her powers. Also, her body has developed a greater resistance against fire and dark magic but is more susceptible to wind and ice magic. Her constitution also seems a tad lower, but overall negligible.

While the male version was by no means a poor leader, the female Corrin seems to have a better grasp of strategy and the responsibilities of leadership, coming up with and utilizing good plans and tactics. The orders she gives out to allies are ones that emphasize power above all else, often directing where exactly to strike foes to deal the most damage.

As this Corrin does not wield the Yato blade, she fights by using her natural draconic abilities, one of which is the “Dark Breath” she can expel during combat; foes that are exposed to the smoke produced are drained of their strength, speed, and resistance, leaving them as easy pickings for the next round of combat. However, the range of the breath is rather short, usually only enveloping one foe at a time.

Thankfully, refining Corrin’s dragonstone in-turn refines the capabilities of her “Dark Breath;” the augmented variant has its smoke cover a wider area, meaning that even if a foe is not the target of her attack, they can still be debilitated and sapped of their strength and reflexes by the lingering magic. However, the draining of a foe’s resistance still only affects those that are in the epicenter of the attack.  

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

The greater attention placed on speed and the weakening of foe’s combat capabilities – plus her greater leadership abilities - makes the female Corrin fit better as an assault/vanguard squadron leader.

Her poorer resistance means that it is much more important for her to be paired with Heroes that can take magical hits well; it helps that with her high defense, she can protect them from physical weaponry such as swords and daggers. Since her fighting style is more aggressive than her Hoshidan counterpart’s, having allies that can enhance her abilities or heal her in order to keep her fighting would not be a bad choice. Also, as she more naturally takes to the role of commander and utilizes aggressive tactics, placing Heroes that are not as powerful under her command can help patch up their damage output.

As this Corrin comes from a realm where she sided with Nohr instead of Hoshido, she works best with the members of the Nohrian royalty and army but doesn’t work as well with the Hoshidan royals and soldiers. In fact, her relationship with Takumi is one of the poorest, as she refuses to be in the same room as him (not in anger, but rather shame, for having to kill him during the war). Outside of those main changes, her relationships are similar enough to the Hoshidan Corrin.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Corrin was summoned into our ranks during our campaign through the lands of Nohr, making her one of the major veterans of the Order of Heroes.

What I’ve said about the Hoshidan Corrin applies to the Nohrian Corrin as well; much like the two Robins, the Corrins are basically twins of one another. The only major difference I can think of is that I’ve spent a number of nights just easing her fears, since she seems to suffer from nightmares more often.

I’ll be honest, I’m frustrated that I can’t do more for her.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hero Entry VA001b: Corrin, Novice Vacationer

**OVERVIEW**

An alternate female version of Corrin that won a ticket to a tropical island vacation. Instead of siding with either Hoshido or Nohr, this Corrin decided to travel down her own path, in an attempt to stop the two nations from fighting by seeking out the source of the conflict; Anankos and his machinations. Working alongside Azura, the two royals banded together the Hoshidan and Nohrian families, travelled to Valla, and put an end to Anankos. After the war, Corrin was crowned as queen of Valla, and rules her new land happily. She is currently on vacation, taking a rest from her duties.

Compared to her other counterparts, much of her personality remains unchanged when it comes to her general kindness and trusting nature. However, her experiences of siding with neither nation has given her a more rounded perspective, allowing her to view situations and conflicts from varying points of view, and being able to understand where both sides of an issue come from. A consequence of this though is that she gets easily frustrated with those that have difficulty or otherwise refuse to be open to differing perspectives. She is also much more clever than she appears to be, having a good grasp on using contingency plans and the like due to her experiences.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

This Corrin carries similar weapon skill levels to her counterparts, though she favors anima magic (specifically thunder- and light-based spells) more than swords and her dragonstone. The only other notable addition to her skillset is wyvern-riding, which she learned from Camilla (in fact, the mount she rides is _actually_ Camilla’s wyvern, given to Corrin with the intent to keep her safe).

Compared to her Nohrian counterpart, this Corrin is much frailer on the physical side; her constitution and defense are not as great (mainly due to a lack of armor when it comes to the latter), and her natural speed is lower, only reaching equal levels to her other female version because of her mount. However, she does sport a greater talent for magic than both her Nohrian and Hoshidan counterparts, not only being much more skilled/knowledgeable in magical theory, but also able to take magical hits much better than either of them, even without armor, because of her natural resistance. Because of her physical frailty yet decent mobility and resistance, this Corrin favors strategies and attack plans that strike opponents swiftly, getting in and out of danger quickly while protecting herself from the worst of magical attacks. Also, much like her male counterpart, Corrin is able to call upon her dragon blood to utilize the _Dragon Fang_ technique, decimating foes.

Despite still being relatively new to riding a mount, Corrin surprisingly knows a great deal about large-scale tactics regarding flying mounts, her most favored being ones being defensive formations and the like.

Her weapon of choice is special tome sold to her by an Anna called the “Sealife Tome.” Though this tome is usually used for more recreational purposes by showing off various species of aquatic life to those that can’t experience the beach, skilled enough casters can use the summoned fish for more combat-oriented needs ~~though in all honesty, why would you? Sure, it can enhance the speed and striking power of nearby allies somehow, but the boost is so negligible. And enhancing the tome through the Rite of Blades does nothing to upgrade said function. Seriously Corrin, why do you use this book? Get a Blade tome or something.~~

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Due to her knowledge on defensive formations and her tome’s ~~really pathetic~~ ability, this Corrin makes for a great support option for teams, much like her Hoshidan counterpart. She can also take a more offensive role if need be ~~once she gets that book replaced~~ with her decent magical skill and speed/mobility.

Since her constitution and defense leave much to be desired, pairing her with Heroes that are physically bulky, such as Michalis, would be a wise choice, keeping physical fighters occupied while she can take care of more magic-aligned opponents. Speaking of magic, while her resistance _is_ one of her better fields, pairing her with an ally that can enhance her defenses against spells and such wouldn’t be a bad option to consider. Individuals that can assist her in the speed department also wouldn’t be a bad choice.

Since this Corrin comes from a realm where she was able to reconcile the grudge between Hoshido and Nohr, she understandably works well with both sides, especially with the royal families. Aside from that, any Hero her Hoshidan and Nohrian counterparts can work with, she can too. However, she doesn’t seem to work as well with her Hoshidan and Nohrian counterparts.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

We met Corrin during our first summer vacation after Veronica’s assault on the Askr summoning ruins. Upon hearing of our struggle with Embla, she…recruited herself into our party, unable to sit by and relax as we fought a hard battle.

I mean, I won’t say no to someone helping us out, but it’s still a bit odd how willing she was to help out, considering she has kingdom to run and repair. I even had discussions with about if she was sure of this, and she was firm in helping us out.

That’s Corrin for you, I guess; always willing to help others.

Though I honestly feel bad for the Hoshidan and Nohrian counterparts; here are two people that had to make hard decisions, getting a good amount of possibly innocent blood on their hands, ending of lives of some of their siblings, and concluding a generation-long war in a bittersweet way…and here comes a version of them that was able to save most everyone and bring peace to both sides.

Both Corrins almost had breakdowns over the fact that they could’ve avoided some major moments of trauma just by siding with neither party; I had to spend a great deal of time just consoling the both of them to the best of my ability.

It was mess when that revelation was shown to them, and it’s something they’re just going to have to live with.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hero Entry VA001c: Corrin, Enjoying Tradition

**OVERVIEW**

An alternate male version of Corrin taking part in Hoshido’s new year festival. Much like her resort counterpart, this Corrin sided with neither nation, instead working to stop Anankos.

His personality is almost the exact same as his resort counterpart, with the only major difference being that this Corrin seems more mellow in comparison ~~pretty negligible difference, honestly~~.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Much like the other Corrins, this Corrin is skilled in multiple weapon types and magics, though he favors the bow more so than the sword or magic. However, this one seems to lack the same level of skill/control over his dragon form, unable to utilize _Dragon Fang_ nor _Draconic Aura_ (however, he can still activate Dragon Veins and still gains some enhancements from his blood).

Having trained himself on how to use a bow, this Corrin sacrifices the balanced style of his Hoshidan counterpart for a slower, but more powerful style. His constitution is slightly lower, but his dragon blood enhances his overall strength and defense, much like how his Hoshidan counterpart has enhanced defense. In fact, his defense actually trumps both his Hoshidan and Nohrian counterparts, as the kimono was designed not only to be aesthetically pleasing but also practical for combat with lightweight plates of armor hiding under the fabric ~~seriously Mikoto, what the heck~~. Unfortunately, while they are lightweight, the added weight of the plates still slows Corrin down a tad. Also, the lack of any magical enchantments/wards means that his resistance is not great, being much lower than either counterpart. 

When it comes to battlefield orders and tactics, this version of Corrin favors those that emphasize defense above all else; he is quick to tell others to take cover and he is quick to jump in and protect any nearby allies from attacks.

The above tactics seem to synergize with Corrin’s weapon of choice, a traditional New Years yumi called the “Hama Ya,” a yumi his mother used to carry. Apparently – if Ryoma and the other royals are to be believed - the yumi is said to “ease the minds of those that the wielder considers friends, protecting them from the dangers of the world” (though I’m slightly skeptical of said claim, there _are_ many magic weapons in the Order’s arsenal, so it might not be as farfetched). The “Hama Ya” is able to be refined by the Rite of Blades, though it lacks any unique refinements.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

As this Corrin favors long distance power and defensive strategies, he makes for an effective support unit and location/fortress guardian.

Since his resistance is much weaker compared to the resistance his counterparts, this Corrin would greatly benefit from a partner that can weather magical blows. Faster allies would also work well with him, keeping speedy opponents occupied so Corrin doesn’t get overwhelmed. Heroes whose defenses are middling can benefit greatly from working with him, as his tactics emphasize defensive play. His relationships and interactions are very similar to his resort counterpart’s, save for some minor variations with people like Felicia and Jakob.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

This Corrin was encountered during a Tempest in Hoshido; the nation was currently preparing for the New Years festival when a vortex opened up around one of their shrines. After quelling the vortex, Corrin…recruited himself into our army, worried that the Tempest would continue to pop up in other worlds.

…When I said he was similar to his resort counterpart, I meant it.

Nothing much else to say; anything I said about the other Corrins could also apply here as well.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hero Entry VA001d: Corrin, Dream Prince

**OVERVIEW**

An enigmatic version of Corrin, born from the young Azura’s dreams as her ideal vision of a brother; he is her guardian, the one who protects her from nightmares and anything else that would hurt her, living in Valla, awaiting her call. ~~How and why it took the form of Corrin specifically I’ll never know, but frankly, this whole thing is weird.~~

This version of Corrin is utterly devoted to the safety of Azura; his main concern is to see her be happy and to see her smile. While he shares personality traits with the other Corrins (kind nature, desire to help others, empathetic, etc.), there is an unsettling air around him, as if his kindness and protectiveness are not as genuine as one would believe (thankfully, they _are_ genuine, just very…eerie).

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

This Corrin is only skilled in one field: his draconic abilities. Every other weapon and spell type, he has no affinity for whatsoever.

While his general parameters are a near match of his Hoshidan counterpart (same constitution, defense, and resistance levels), he is faster and hits harder than him. These capabilities are further enhanced if he is near an ally; fitting his protective nature, much of Corrin’s combat style revolves around working alongside allies, as there seems to be a noticeable increase in his defensive capabilities, destructive power, and speed when he is aware that he has someone to protect. Also, since he is much more in-tune with his draconic physiology compared to his Nohrian version, the _Dragon Fang_ technique comes much more naturally to him, as if he has mastered it.

Speaking of physiology, Corrin seems to have a greater control over water, using it in very interesting ways; one course of action he takes is using it to disorient foes, releasing waves that wash over individuals and throw them off balance, often stopping any sort of follow-up attack they had planned. The water he summons can also enhance the offensive capabilities of his fellow dragons, powering their breath, sharpening their claws, and honing their reaction time/speed. However, though this physiology and control over water makes him resistant to fire- and dark-based spells, wind- and ice-based spells are more effective against him.

Though he carries a dragonstone, it has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Corrin’s abilities as a dragon and his protective nature make him an impressive frontline fighter.

Since his biggest weakness is his resistance, high-resistance allies would work as great support options. Since this Corrin is more designed for frontline combat, other support options such as healers would also be wise to use.

Being a creation from Azura’s mind, this Corrin has the best working relationship with her and her alternate versions, caring for them to the best of his ability. While he works well with most everyone else (save the usual culprits such as Valter and Julius), he does not make as much of an attempt to forge deeper bonds with them, often keeping to himself (considering his existence as Azura’s ideal brother, perhaps that’s not all that surprising).

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

This dream version of Corrin was encountered in a Valla realm, after the war with Surtr. At first, he attempted to protect the young Azura from us, but after Loki opened a Tempest using Azura’s powers, he joined up with us to close it.

He creeps me out.

Like, I know he’s a good person, but his more distant friendliness unnerves me, especially when compared to how the other Corrins are all so affectionate. There’s an uncanny air around him.

I also will admit I have some concerns regarding his devotion to the young Azura, mainly for the fact that if she ever decided that my death would make her happy, I wouldn’t be surprised if Corrin would try to kill him, no matter how reluctant he would be. I don’t know, maybe that’s just my paranoia talking.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hero Entry VA001e: Corrin, Dream Princess

**OVERVIEW**

An enigmatic version of Corrin, born from the young Azura’s dreams as one of her ideal visions of a sister; she is her guardian, the one who protects her from nightmares and anything else that would hurt her, living in Valla, awaiting her call.

Her personality is the _exact same_ as her male counterpart; whatever is said about him applies to her.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Much like her male counterpart, this Corrin is only skilled in one field, that being her draconic abilities.

Though she is weaker in strength and slightly weaker in constitution, she has a greater speed, greater resistance, and slightly greater defense when compared to the male dream Corrin. Also much like him, she fights more effectively when near an ally, though trading a bit of his defensive priorities for more offensive/speed priorities. Once again, just like her male version, she is also well-versed in her draconic abilities, though for her, it is the _Draconic Aura_ technique that comes much more naturally to her.

~~Yes, I know I’m saying ‘like her male counterpart’ a lot, but I can’t help it! They are similar in so many ways!~~

This Corrin also seems to have a great control over water, however _unlike_ her male counterpart ~~hey, what do you know, they aren’t exactly the same~~ she takes a more supportive role; the power she channels through water can greatly enhance the physical/magical capabilities and speed/reaction time of any ally exposed to it. The water she summons can also enhance the defensive capabilities of her fellow dragons, hardening their scales to better weather spells and stabs. Also unlike her male counterpart, her physiology implies she more easily resists light and thunder magic, but has a greater weakness to fire and dark magic.

Though she carries a dragonstone, it has shown no reaction to the Rite of Blades.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

While Corrin’s abilities make her an effective frontline fighter like her male counterpart, she can better pull off support duties as needed.

As her defenses are much more balanced, she doesn’t need a high-resistance ally specifically; pairing her with a healer would be the best choice if she is taking a more offensive role. Since her water manipulation leans towards assisting allies, especially other dragons, having her working as a support unit herself wouldn’t be that bad of an idea.

This Corrin’s relationships are the exact same as her male counterpart’s.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

This dream version of Corrin was encountered in a Valla realm, after the war with Surtr. At first, she attempted to protect the young Azura from us, but after Loki opened a Tempest using Azura’s powers, she joined up with us to close it.

Whatever I said about the male dream Corrin applies to her as well.

Few things in this realm truly unsettle me for extended periods of time; I can safely say that these two, with their mirror image personalities and dispositions, creep me the hell out. 

I know they are inherently good people, but…I still feel a small shiver go down my spine when I stay near them for too long.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Hero Entry VA001f: Corrin, Wailing Soul

**OVERVIEW**

A version of Corrin that was unable to control her draconic powers after Mikoto’s death. After accidently harming (and possibly killing) Azura in her blinded rage, Corrin ran off into the Hoshidan wilderness, horrified by her actions, never taking part in the war.

Gone is Corrin’s more peppy nature; the actions that were wrought from her dragon form have emotionally traumatized her, leaving her as a mess of a person always worried about harming others. She keeps to herself often, too busy worrying about the ‘what ifs’ and the like. The confident princess of Hoshido and Nohr is gone, and in her place is a frightened child. Aspects of her old personality may still exist (such as her desire to protect those close to her), but they are hidden under her fear and paranoia.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Though this Corrin has the capability to utilize most all weapon types (only lacking affinity for the magical arts), she mainly relies on her dragon form for combat.

In comparison to her Nohrian version, this Corrin is _much_ more powerful, faster, has greater resistance, and has better constitution; even her defense, while not as great as her Nohrian counterpart’s, is still pretty impressive. It takes little effort for her to decimate enemy squadrons, especially when one also considers not only her use of _Dragon Fang_ , but also her general approach to combat. However, the lack of a dragonstone to keep her power in check also makes her incredibly ferocious, often having difficulty differentiating from friend and foe.

Aware of the fact that she is very powerful but wild, Corrin works best when fighting alone; the fewer allies nearby, the less she has to worry about collateral damage, meaning the more she is willing to let loose. She fights fast and hard, ripping apart foes with her horns and dragon breath, and has also shown to more easily survive attacks, be they physical or magical. In fact, her scales have no inherent weakness to any magic type, only really having a weakness of Raven tomes and similar spells such as Naglfar. She easily moves around the battlefield as well, outmaneuvering even the fastest of opponents. This admittedly monstrous pattern of attack has the added benefit of striking fear in enemies, leaving them in a sudden panic when they see her ~~though let’s be honest, who wouldn’t piss their pants when they see a destructive force of nature rushing towards them.~~

Since she carries no dragonstone on her, it is unknown if her abilities can be refined by the Rite of Blades.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

Corrin’s exceptional destructive power makes her a devastating warrior, though admittedly one difficult to control.

Since she fights best when alone, healers equipped with Physic staves would be the most ideal option as support, as they can keep their distance and allow her to run loose. Having allies to enhance her capabilities before she jumps into combat would also help, though not as necessary as one would think. High resistance team members are necessary however, if only to stop _her_ from rampaging for too long.

Since Corrin mainly keeps to herself, she has few notable relationships to discuss; while both the Nohrian and Hoshidan royals have attempted to reach out to her, she is firm in keeping her distance from them, especially the Hoshidan ones. In fact, not many Heroes have been able to get her to open up. The only ones who seem able to get any sort of conversation out of her are Duma (who only seems to question her inability to control her power ~~remind me to verbally beat him down when possible over insensitivity~~ ), Tiki and Azura (who do their best to console her), and Heroes that have been corrupted by dark powers like the possessed Berkut and Mareeta.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

This version of Corrin was encountered during the Order’s journey through Hel. After breaking her from her contract, she first assisted us by keeping an eye out for/warning us about the other fallen Heroes in the area (Mareeta, Berkut, Delthea, and Tiki), then joined us proper after a few skirmishes.

Though she worries about losing control of her mind, the songs of the heron and Azura have been doing a good job of calming her blood down, though it is unfortunately not a permanent solution, much like with the other fallen Heroes (something with Breidablik, perhaps?). She is insistent that I keep my distance from her, but I don’t think I can; she’s hurting, and I can’t just idly sit by and let her suffer under her dragon blood.


	21. Leon

Hero Entry V025: Leon, True of Heart

**OVERVIEW**

An archer from Zofia. Born to parents in a laid-back environment, Leon grew up to become a carefree individual. Though other villagers would often tease him for his “effeminately good looks and ladylike conduct,” he was always quick to respond with tests of skill that he always won. As he grew older, he eventually decided to join the army, searching for someone he could devote himself to. However, though he did find a partner during his service, tragedy was soon to follow, as his partner was killed during their first battle together. Thankfully, Valbar – another member of the Zofian army – was there to care of the devastated archer, eventually winning his love and devotion. The two would later travel together to get revenge on the pirate Barth for the murder of Valbar’s family. It was during this quest that the met Celica, who they joined up with on her journey to the temple of Mila after taking care of Barth.

Leon is a rather frank individual, willing to speak whatever is on his mind; while he may have a sharp tongue and quick wit, he also wears his heart on his sleeve and is one of the most honest members within the Order of Heroes when it comes to his own feelings. He also cares greatly about appearances, always making sure he looks his best and knows a great deal about trends. Granted, while he can be a bit _too_ vain on occasion, he’s ultimately a good person.

**COMBAT PROWESS/SKILLS**

Having served in the Zofian army, it should come as no surprise Leon is a skilled combatant. Though he is most skilled in using the bow, he also has some skill in using both swords and lances as well, understanding the basic forms and stances. He lacks any extensive knowledge/skills on axes and lacks skill with daggers. He also lacks any magical talent whatsoever, having no affinity for any type of combat magic and being unable to use both healing magic and hexes. In terms of mounts, Leon has some experience in horse riding due to his time in the military, though he came to Askr without a mount.        

Leon’s training as an archer emphasizes a style of combat where one would take out their target in one shot, or at the very least, cripple them extensively; he has a good deal of strength and keen eyes, meaning that his arrows deal great damage on impact (especially if he has the chance to utilize the _Ignis_ technique) and can even daze and disorient foes that would otherwise survive his attacks, throwing them off balance. A major weakness of this combat doctrine is that no attention was placed on a unit’s mobility and agility, which translates to faster foes overwhelming him if given the chance; even his custom-made clothing giving him more range of motion and greater speed without sacrificing its impressive defenses won’t save him from being heavily wounded, especially if he is facing magic-oriented foes as his resistance is rather poor.

Leon carries a standard issue Slaying Bow, which are known for their decent draw weight and sharp arrowheads (Leon has commented that he feels he can more easily use _Ignis_ with such a bow). It has no unique reaction to the Rite of Blades, merely having certain parts (draw weight, general weight, etc.) enhanced.

**TEAM COMPOSITIONS**

A skilled archer such as Leon works well with most team compositions, with his role being that of taking care of important targets efficiently.

Because he lacks great agility even with the modifications to his clothing, faster allies can act as effective bodyguards, keeping foes that would otherwise kill him occupied enough so he can either take care of them or take out more valuable targets. His impressive defense means he can protect frailer Heroes if necessary, though the aforementioned speed issues and his own average constitution means he should not hold such a role for extensive periods of time.

Having traveled with Celica’s group previously, Leon works best with her and her party, and especially has good rapport with Sonya, working the best with her. While he has not interacted with Alm’s party (as he comes from before the confrontation with Duma), he seems to work well with them, especially with Faye oddly enough (perhaps due to similar feelings of unrequited love?). Outside of those specific groups, he shares a good relationship with Titania, often seen helping her with chores and other domestic affairs. ~~The Ylissean harpy~~ Maribelle is also someone he works with quite well, being one of her closer friends. Finally, Corrin (mostly the male one) is also someone he has built a good relationship with, enjoying his company. In terms of individuals he dislikes/hates, he loathes the company of likes of Gharnef, Valter, and Narcian.

**PERSONAL THOUGHTS**

Leon was encountered during the Order’s hunt for Bruno in Valentia, under Embla control and attempting to stop our search. After breaking him free of his contract, he later summoned into our ranks after said hunt.

Gotta say, it’s a little odd he decided to stick with us for so long; he’s so devoted to Valbar and cares so greatly about his wellbeing, you’d think he’d rather return to Valentia to make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble than stay with us. And it’s not like I haven’t offered him the choice to return home - usually one of the first offers I give a Hero unless it’s someone like Valter or Gharnef - yet he still insists on staying. I assume maybe because of something related to Valbar, like how he would help out others in any way possible, but I’ll have to ask him some time for a clear answer.

Aside from that, Leon’s been a reliable companion ever since he’s been here, always willing to lend an ear if need be, and doing his best in the battles he is deployed in. He’s been a great help.

And unlike a certain Ylissean harpy, I actually consider his advice on improving my posture and appearance and such! Because he isn’t irritating about it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Laegjarn's entry has been updated to include her summer alt.


End file.
